


We Will Be Fine

by 0alchemy0



Series: Hellfire [3]
Category: Ao no Exorcist | Blue Exorcist
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Torture, M/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Triggers Labeled in the story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-11
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:55:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 21
Words: 28,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28012782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/0alchemy0/pseuds/0alchemy0
Summary: Has Rin really gotten over his PTSD? Erebus is still at large and Amaimon is as vengeful as ever. And a precious relic is being attempted at being stolen, leading to a demon who is as feared as Satan to be released. But, Rin has Ryuuji so everything should be okay, Right?
Relationships: Okumura Rin/Suguro "Bon" Ryuuji
Series: Hellfire [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1917040
Comments: 46
Kudos: 31





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> HI MY LOVES!!!!!!!!! Welcome back to the final part of this series!!!! As always, thank you all so so so much for reading! this means the absolute world to me! Seeing that people are reading my work has pushed me to write more and has evidently killed my Quarantine boredom. 
> 
> As I stated in the tags, the trigger warnings are going to be mentioned in the beginning notes of every chapter as well as marked by *** in the story. I'll have it marked where it begins and when it ends. I will give a breif, vague summary in the end of the notes section so you don't feel like there are missing bits to the story. 
> 
> If I missed a trigger, please let me know because I don't want to hurt anyone
> 
> Enjoy this upload!!!!!!!!!!!!

“On our way here I assigned you different roles while we’re on this mission. Suguro and Koneko, you two are doing a perimeter check, if there are any coal tar, get rid of them. Moriyama, Shima, Kamiki, you guys are going inside and backing the exorcists. Rin, you’re second back up. Lilith you’re on deck” Yukio says, clicking the safety off of his gun. Everyone disperces and Rin walks after Yukio.

“You’re not seriously benching me right now,”

“Rin, you’re not using Kurikara and if you’re not using your main mode of weaponry, then theres no use for you on the field. It’s for you own good, I can’t be looking over my shoulder every four minutes to see if you’re holding your own.”

“I know these demons you’re up against, bullshit there’s no use for me here,” 

“I’m sorry, but it’s the orders I was given, to bench you until you deem yourself valuable in the field. Help keep the crowds back or something,” Yukio says, he ducks into the building leaving Rin just standing there with his fists clenched. Lilith and Ryuuji give him sympathetic glances while they go off in their assigned positions. He walks back over to the Vatican vans and he jumps up on the hood of one. He leans against the windshield with a walkie in his hand so he can hear what everyone else is saying. 

“Second back up?” Shura asks, jumping up next to him. He nods. “What pricks, they think that because you’re not using Kurikara you’re useless.”

“They’re kinda right, I mean what can I do without the sword? Light certain things on fire and summon hellfire-hounds? It’s not much.”

“You also know the demons we’re up against, right? You’ve meet them, know their mannerisms. I’m just saying they’re all dumbasses for benching you.”

“They have you babysitting me huh?”

“Yeah, but I mean, look at that hottie over there,” Shura says “I’m totally going to get distracted long enough for you to slip inside the building to get some action.” She smiles and slides off of the hood of the van and saunters over to an exorcist doing crowd control. Rin wants to get up and go inside, but he doesn’t. He just continues to sit on the van, waiting for his cue, which never comes. Everyone comes back and they’re all safe, not a scratch on any of them. Yukio goes on about the type of demon it was that was inside and quizzes everyone, but Rin, on some of the distinguishing parts of the demon. Lilith walks over to Rin, unamused with the fact that he is always being benched. 

“You’d think after becoming an exorcist last month they’d put you out on the field actually doing things,” She says. 

“It’s because I’m not using Kurikara.” He says in a mocking voice “Lil, All they see is all the power I have and not that I’m still traumatized and don’t know how much control I will have over myself when it is unsheathed. I don’t want a repeat of what happened,” Rin says. “Also, I might stay with Bon for the night, so don’t panic if I don’t come home. I’ll just be there.” Another thing since Rin became an exorcist, is he and Lilith moved in together. They figured that they will have strength in numbers if they lived together and Erebus or someone he sends comes to try to ambush them. Plus it’s easier than finding a roommate and having them accidentally walk in on you and they see that you have a tail.

“Benched again,” Ryuuji says, less like a question and more like a statement “Didn’t do homework?” Sometimes Yukio will bench someone if they didn’t do their homework or got a low score on the tests. Of course all of their teachers have it set up differently, but that’s Yukio’s rule of thumb. Because if their work isn’t done, they’re not prepared and that could be disastrous. 

“Not using Kurikara,” He replies, sliding off of the hood. He shrugs it off “It’s fine. I just fast tracked becoming an exorcist for nothing, apparently. We’re sill on tonight, right?” Ryuuji smiles and nods his head. Rin kisses his cheek as Shura calls his name. They have a training lesson right after the mission. No one really knows the real reason why Rin isn’t using Kurikara. Yes, he is scared he could cave into the demon inside of him, but that fear is larger than everyone can fathom. He can’t even draw the sword. It’s as if it knows. As if it senses that he doesn’t trust himself so won’t let him even use his power to his full potential.

In the training room, Shura has a bunch of different “things”, so to speak, laying out where Rin usually does the candle exercise. There is a bucket of water and a hose by it leading from the bathroom, a fire extinguisher, a tranq gun, and demon-grade handcuffs. 

“Shura, you kinky-”

“Rin don’t you dare finish that sentence,” She warns. Rin throws his hands up in defense “These are all methods I know will work to extinguish your flames and hold you down if you do go all feral on me.”

“Meaning…?”

“Meaning you don’t need to be scared about going all out right now,” She tosses Kurikara towards him. “We are in a controlled environment and I rigged the sprinkler system here so I can manually set it off so it’s super controlled.”

“You really think this is a good idea?” 

“I know this is a good idea,” She says “I understand that you don’t need Kurikara to kill demons, but if we’re going to go up against the worst of the worst that have gone topside, than we’re going to need you at your best. I know it’s not ideal after everything you have been through, but I believe I can help because I have been to Gehenna and back. I know the horrors of what goes on there.” Rin looks down the sword in his hand. He hasn’t opened it since he left Gehenna. With trembling hands, he tries to unsheath it, but it stays locked. 

“You’re not trusting yourself,” Shura says. “There’s no one else more equipped to help you through this than me. Both through coaching you and helping if the little demon goes get out.”

“He’s not little,”

“If he’s shorter than me, he’s little,”

“You have boots on,”  
“My point still stands. You can do this, Rin,” He shakes his head slowly. 

“What if I just don’t want to do it though? Killing satan was my goal and I did it-”

“You’ve said it yourself, we can’t trust Lucifer and a little birdie told me he is just letting Erebus run Gehenna. You know the both of them better than most people do, so you’re our ace up our sleeve. You’re going to help us all be able to live safely in Assiah without any more threats in Gehenna.”

“Okay, so if we get rid of Erebus, his army and Lucifer, who is going ot keep everyone in check in Gehenna? It’s going to be complete anarchy and you know it. Who is going to keep them all in line?” Shura shrugs her shoulders. “So we’re just going to keep on taking out who ever rises to power?”

“If it keeps everyone in Assiah safe, yes,”

“What about all the tortured souls that are continuing to be tortured as we speak? They were all humans at one point! What about the demons who want out of Gehenna and want to live in Assiah and not seek its destruction or kill people or follow in Erebus’s steps? Do we kill them too?” Rin asks. 

“Where is all this coming from?” Shura asks. 

“If I draw Kurikara, any chance I have at a normal life goes out the window. I was kept alive to kill satan and to be the Vatican’s lap dog. I don’t want to do everyone's bidding for them just because I have all of this power I never wanted in the first place. It’ll become a game of whack-a-mole. I kill one demon, another pops up. We kill Erebus and destroy his army, a new demonic tyrant will take his place and the whole cycle with just go on and on and on until I eventually get killed,” Rin says, handing her Kurikara back. “I already completed my life's goal, so now I can just sit back and relax. Lilith is looking at apartments and asked me to move in with her, I’m going to apply for a job somewhere. I can finally settle down and not be so amped up anymore and always looking over my shoulder.” They are silent for a long while. 

“What if we make a deal,”  
“Shura no, I’m sick of deals,”

“Hear me out,” He is silent. “What of you help us get rid of Erebus and retirement comes early for you. Erebus and his army and then you are free to go. Free to leave the Vatican, live and do what ever you want. I will make sure Kurikara is safe, or you can have it with you, either way I’m fine with it.”

“If I help take out him and his army, then I’m done?” Shura nods. “Not throwing in Lucifer?”

“He has been a thorn in the vatican’s side for ages. If you retire, you’re no longer obligated to uphold your end of the deal you made with him. One and done with Erebus and than you can live a cosy life,” Rin extends his hand. 

“Deal.” They shake on it.


	2. Chapter 2

“How did training with Shura go?” Ryuuji asks as Rin sinks into the couch beside him. 

“Good... No progress with getting Kurikara open,”

“There’s a but…”  
“But I promised her after we defeat Erebus and his army, I’m done,” Ryuuji furrows his eyebrows. 

“What do you mean, ‘I’m done’?”

“I’m ‘retiring’ as she put it. I’m not going to be the Vatican’s lap dog anymore.”

“What about Lucifer? Or your other half siblings?”

“They’re not my siblings. Half or full. They are not my siblings,” Rin says. “And you know as well as I do that this is just an endless game of whack-a-mole. It’ll be like chopping the head off of the hydra, two more will pop up. When Erebus is gone, someone else will rise in his place and then the Vatican will come knocking on my door, asking me to pick up Kurikara and go kill them. My only reasoning for becoming an exorcist was to kill Satan and I did it, I can rest easy now. Well not really, but I will when Erebus is gone.”

“I dedicated everything I did to taking Satan down too, but here I am, still working my ass of to become an exorcist and do some good and help people. Don’t you want to help people too?”

“I am helping people. I’m going to help kill Erebus and destroy his army,”

“But after that,”

“I’m going to live the closest thing I can to a normal life,”

“Why?”

“‘Why?’” Rin sits up “The only reason I was kept alive was to kill satan. To be the Vatican’s jackall for any demon thats too difficult for them to kill. That was my only purpose. I was never kept alive for anything other than that. You? You where born because your parents wanted you. They wanted a child and they kept you alive because they loved you. Sure, Shiro loved Yukio and I, but we where kept alive, me especially, to be used at the Vatican’s expense. I deserve to be selfish. I deserve to want to walk away from all of this because I’ve earned it.”

“You’re more than their ‘lap dog’ and you know it,” Ryuuji.

“Maybe to you and Yukio and everyone else I am, but to the Vatican all they see is my power and how it can be used to kill all of their threats. They don’t see the humanity in me. You and everyone else are the only ones.”

“Shouldn’t that be enough to stay and fight who is rising up next?”

“No it’s not enough,” Rin says. “I’ve had three years to think about all of this. Three years in Gehenna in between being tortured to mull over everything for the off chance that I actually got to go home. I’m walking away from the Vatican and I’m not turning around. That doesn’t mean I’m walking away from you. That doesn’t mean I’m going to constantly denounce he vatican and ridicule all of you for still wanting to protect people and become exorcists. It means I’m done being apart of the Vatican.” 

“Once an exorcist, always an exorcist,” Ryuuji says. Rin sighs heavily and stands up. “You can’t just walk away from this, Rin.”

“Watch me,” He says and he leaves Ryuuji’s dorm. Lilith is waiting at the end of he hallway for Rin. She silently walks beside him until they get to his dorm. 

“I’m proud of you,” She says after a while. “It takes guts to say that to people, especially those you love. Promise you won’t forget us when you’re relaxing on the couch eating cheetos without a care in the world?”

“Of corse, Lil,” Rin says smiling. “Yukio is going to be pissed when I tell him.”

“Shura already did. I think they’re going to host an intervention,” Rin laughs. “No, seriously. Yukio mentioned it.” Rin rolls his eyes. “Well, might as well go to the candy shop down the road and eat ourselves sick.”

“Perfect way to spend the night,” Rin says. 

“So no make-up whatever you guys are doing with Ryuuji later tonight” He shrugs his shoulders.

“I’m going to let everything I said sink in with him more,”

____________________________

“Didn’t expect him to do that, huh?” Kakia says, seeing the anger course through Erebus. “I guess to tortured him too hard.”

“No I didn’t. We just have to keep adding fule, he is on the edge of sparking, I can tell. We keep dumping enough on him, he will spark and he won’t be able to stop,” Erebus turns to the youngest soldier in their arsenal. She is about eye level with Erebus’s chest, and her stomach is twisted in knots because she knows it’s her “time to shine” as Kakia says. 

“Enyo, you’re up,” Erebus replies. She slowly shakes her head. “I don’t think I pulled you out of the dungeons for you to tell me no. You know what you have to do. Now do it.” He says. She lowers her head and nods. Her hair is still matted and stained with blood from the dungeons. She hates what Erebus has become and she hates what he is making her do. She holds onto the faint memories of when she wasn’t a tortured soul. From before Gehenna turned her into what she is and before it corrupted Erebus and their mother. She is most of all ashamed of what her brother is doing. Killing people and tormenting Rin in the name of Satan. It’s not right to do that. Rin did his time in Gehenna, he should just let him go. 

However, that’s not how revenge runs. Enyo follows Ariadne to a door where she uses the demon key and there she is in Assiah with an exorcist doing paperwork in a room full of interesting artifacts. Enyo swallows the pit in her stomach and presses forward. As much as she likes to believe she has a choice, she doesn’t. She knows the chaos that will ensue soon after. She wishes it was different and she tells herself over and over and over that she doesn’t have a choice. Erebus is was stronger than she is, plus he has Amaimon, Kakia and Ariadne. Her and her tiny, 7 year old body doesn’t stand a chance against either of them. Even if her powers are as strong as all of them. 

_ I have no choice  _ She tells herself as he man doing paperwork looks up, started by the sound of the door closing behind her and the stench of Gehenna wafting over towards him.  _ I have no choice. I have no choice. I have no choice.  _ She repeats as she begins doing as Erebus told her. 

_ I have no choice.  _

_ I have no choice. _

_ I have no choice... _

_ … _

_ Unless I find Rin and Lilith. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rin will have it made chilling eating cheetos on the couch XD 
> 
> Thank you for reading this chapter!!!! I will see ya Next Friday!!!!


	3. Chapter 3

“Okay, I know we had a bit of a row the other day, and we may have said somethings we didn’t mean-”

“I meant everything I said-” Rin cuts in. 

“-but, something we both deserve is a vacation,” Ryuuji says. Rin will admit, it did catch him off guard. He wasn’t expecting them to “make up” with a vacation, but it is what it is. He’s not complaining or anything. “We’re not going far, or for a whole week. Just down the road to a little hotel and we’re going to stay there for the night, no work, no school, just you and me and the jar of lollipops.” Rin smiles. It is a perfect plan. Just them, no one else around. No more Koneko and Shima walking in on them snogging on the couch and making innuendos. No more Yukio loudly walking in then out of a room if they’re in it together because he’s too awkward he doesn’t know how to navigate situations like that. No more Lilith jokingly throwing condoms at them when they are at the apartment watching a movie or something. 

Just them

By themselves

For the weekend. 

“What do you say?” Ryuuji asks, pulling Rin close by his hips. 

“Perfect peace offering,” Rin replies. 

“You think?” They smile and Rin nods. “I’ll pick you up after school then.” Rin smiles and nods his head. Ryuuji kisses his cheek and he leaves the apartment. Lilith pokes her head around the corner of the kitchen with tea in her hand and sheepish grin on her face. 

“I swear to god if you fill my bag with condoms, you’re going to get crucified.”

“Ha, Ha, very funny,” Lilith says. They both know they have been crucified in their time in Gehenna. “You two behave yourselves. Remember, don’t add to the population.”

“As if that’s even possible,” 

“Well-”

“I promise we will behave.”  
“Eh, good enough for me,” She replies. “I know you guys aren’t doing any of that… I also know you still have barely told him about Gehenna.”

“I’m getting there… slowly. It’s hard. I don’t want to tell him things and then have him walk on eggshells around me because of what Erebus did. He will get weird. Yukio and Shura are weird around me sometimes.” 

“They’ll get over it,” She says, sipping more of her tea “They just need to figure out that yeah you where tortured and had splinters jammed under your nails and teeth pulled out of your head and felt the pain of them regrowing, but you’re still you and they don’t need to treat you any differently.”

Rin nods, knowing she is trying to make jokes to make it better because thats how they survived in Gehenna. Making jokes about what was happening to them because laughter is the best medicine apparently. While it was sadistic and has now made them have a habit of inappropriately laughing, it makes topics and situations that are dark and twisty a whole lot less dark and twisty. However, there are some topics they don’t joke about. It’s one of the many silent agreements between the two. 

They don’t joke about Davey. They don’t joke about the things Satan made them do - Lilith was forced to kill bloodline exorcists, which are exorcists who have at least someone in their family apart of the vatican since the dawn of time. They are the strongest type and Satan needed them gone. He made Lilith kill four huge bloodlines which isn’t as easy as it sounds. Satan got Rin to cave in to the demon inside of him and is now feared all throughout Gehenna because of the mass murder he committed in Gehenna. While he never killed anyone in Assiah, he killed those in Gehenna. 

“Yeah, I wouldn’t make jokes like that around him or the others, they won’t really get it,” Lilith says, resting her head on Rin’s shoulder “Which is the beauty of it all. Anyway, have fun on your night with Ryuuji.”

“Kuro will be here and you have everyones number, so if you ever feel dark and twisty and alone, you can call them. I’m sure Shima will be here in five minutes.” She laughs.

“He likes Izumo. He’s only around me to make her jealous,” Lilith says “besides, it’ll feel wrong.” Rin doesn’t need to ask to know she is talking about Davey. Rin only met him twice. The day before he was killed and the day of. However, those two days, he saw how much light flooded Lilith’s eyes. How much she loved him. Her screams when Erebus gutted him are burned into his head, along with the screams of everyone else in the dungeons. 

Ryuuji comes to the apartment after school and flops on the couch next to Rin and Lilith. They have the Tv going but they are talking over it. Their conversation stops when Ryuuji walks into the living room. He figures they where talking about Gehenna, so he doesn’t ask. 

“Ready to go?” He asks.

“Just need to pack then I will,” Rin replies. “If I packed earlier  _ someone _ would have filled it with something else, so I waited until you where here.” 

“Rin I would never do that to you,” Lilith says. Rin rolls his eyes and stalks off to his room with Ryuuji following behind, telling him about school and how Shima is being a quote un quote “slut” and flirting with so many other girls only ever around Izumo to make her jealous. 

“I think it’s working,” Ryuuji says “She looks jealous.”

“Maybe she’s angry because he says all these flirty things to her to make her feel like she is the only one and then she sees him doing the same to others.” Rin says, aimlessly throwing clothes into a backpack. 

“Wait… you talk to Izumo?”

“Yeah, she was the only one who was really on my side pre-gehenna, post-camping trip,” Rin says. “Love, don’t feel bad, she just didn’t care that I was Satan’s son. I’m over all of that, okay so don’t get that sad look on your face and kick yourself for everything that happened. It’s a new year, it’s a new us.” he bounces up to his tip toes and kisses Ryuuji’s cheek. He sees Ryuuji smile, not the forced smile when his eyes don’t match his smile, a real smile. A real happy one at that. 

Rin finishes packing, hugs Lilith goodbye, kisses the top of Kuro’s head saying to behave for Lilith.

_ I’m 1,000 years older than you! Don’t talk to me like I am a baby!  _ Kuro says.

“Kuro, no matter how old you are, you’re still a little kitten to me,” Rin says “it’s just like with dogs.” Kuro rolls his eyes and sits on Lilith’s lap, sticking his tongue out at him. Rin laughs and walks out of the apartment with Ryuuji.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Awwww the boys are going on a vacation!!!!!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW:: implied/referenced non-con/rape and torture 
> 
> I have it marked in the chapter as always. I don't go too in detail about it, but it is mentioned / referenced so I am giving it a warning reguardles.
> 
> Enjoy

“How much did you pay for this place?!” Rin says, looking around at the hotel room. Yes, it’s small, but it looks expensive. A high quality, working TV, free food and drinks on a little table, a working room service button where someone actually picks up instead of being put on hold which happens a lot at the crappy hotels he has stayed at for “overnight” missions that are far away. 

“Not much,”  
“Ryuuji I swear-”

“Rin, I pinky promise,” Ryuuji says, holding out his pinky. “I didn’t spend too much on this. Besides even if I did, we deserve it. A little get away from chaos of school and work, and everyone’s innuendos.” Rin links his pinky with Ryuuji’s. He kisses Rin’s forehead and the two flop on the bed. Rin lays half on top of Ryuuji, half off of him with his face buried in the crook of his neck. This is how the other night should have gone after Rin told him he is going to leave the Vatican after Erebus is gone. 

“You still want to go to Kyoto to see the tower?” Ryuuji akss. 

“Oh fucking corse I do!” Rin says, sitting up to look Ryuuji in his face. “I have just about always wanted to go since I saw a picture of it in middle school.”

“I can’t imagine angsty middle school Rin geeking out about going to the Kyoto Tower.” 

“I wasn’t that angsty. Just most of the kids I went to school with in middle school where who I went to preschool and kindergarten with. Their parents all called me a demon child or what not and they where right, but I would get so angry and have these violent out bursts I couldn’t control so they all kept away from me. I still got excited when I saw puppies and loved game nights.” Ryuuji gives him the sad, sympathetic look. Deep down, he is happy Rin is opening up to him more. “I just didn’t like school. I couldn’t connect with anyone because my very existence was stigmatized. But, it’s fine now because I have you, Lilith, Kuro and all of the others. I actually feel like I belong with you guys. Despite our rough patches, you guys are my family.” Ryuuji smiles, and hugs Rin tighter. “Even if I struggle with telling you about Gehenna, you’re still here and I really appreciate it, Bon.”.

“I appreciate you telling me everything you just said,” He says “I mean I knew you didn’t have friends and didn’t enjoy school but I didn’t know that much. When we get back, we can have a game night if you want. You, me, all of the guys, Lilith, the girls.” Rim smile stretches a mile wide. He slowly lays back down and nuzzles the crook of Ryuuji’s neck. 

“That’ll be amazing,” He says, his voice is tired. Ryuuji kisses his forehead. 

“I love you,” he says against Rin’s forehead. 

“I love you too,” Rin replies. They drift off to sleep, rapped up in one another. They do wake up a little bit later to change into comfy clothes, but by then, they broke out the lollipops and ate the entire bag and went on a mad sugar high. They settled back into bed as they where crashing - and they where crashing hard. Once again, they lay wrapped up in one another's arms and drift of to sleep for real this time. 

________________

_Everything is dark and cold. Rin can’t see anything, aside from a few inches in front of his face He is strapped to a table that has him semi upright. He hears the familiar sounds, people screaming, chains clattering, Lilith sobbing - seeing as her torture for the day is over. She is sobbing hard so Rin knows what’s going to happen to him today. It’s their mistake for keeping their torture the same because sometimes they talk each other through it. They made up their own language and everything. They do have a lot of time on their hands._

_The heavy door opens, people walk in. Rin knows it’s three people walking in. Without sight he has learned how to hone his other senses, the human ones and the demon ones, and he not only know how many people are in the room, but who they are and where they are in the room. It’s too novice level demons standing guard at the door and Erebus is approaching Rin._

_“I hear they went easy on you, went back to splinters under your nails,” Erebus says. Rin hears some mechanical clicks and feels the table he is strapped to level out so he is laying down. His heart is pounding against his ribcage. “Today… not so much. Now, you can get out of this. Do you know how Rin?” He nods his head. “Let me hear you say it.”_

_“If I do what Satan wants,” Rin says, his voice is shakey._

_“Good, good. What do you say? Are you going to be a good, obedient son?” Rin hesitates._

_“I am. Shiro Fujimoto is my father not_ him _,” Rin senses Satan outside of the cell. Erebus laughs._

_*** Rin hears the heart dropping sound of a belt buckle being unlatched and falling to the ground._

_“We’re going to have some fun today,” He says. The darkness Rin sees, fades away until he is looking directly at Erebus, taking in all of his features - square jaw, long scar down the side of his face, chipped and crooked teeth, his creepy, bugged out eyes, his lopsided smile that sends shivers up and down Rin’s spin. Rin hears Lilith sniffle and start talking to him._

_“Rin remember the camping trip, you and Lover Boy under the stars,” Rin closes his eyes really tight and forces himself to think about that moment where it’s just the two of them. The fresh air. The Stars. The feeling of Grass. Little memories, he magnifies it in his head to try to escape what is going to happen as Erebus begins._

_***_

Ryuuji wakes up to Rin thrashing around in his arms. He tries calling out Rin’s name, but he’s not waking up. Which that is the first red flag because since being back from Gehenna, he is a light sleeper. He yells for Rin to wake up, but it doesn’t work. He decides to shake him awake. Rin’s eyes snap open, only its not Rin looking back. He has the same feral look in his eyes. Rin’s hand is on Ryuui’s arm as he flames out, which is followed by a sting. As fast as Rin flamed out, Rin comes back and he scrambles out of the bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMF WTF JUST HAPPENED
> 
> Thank y'all for reading this chapter and the one previous! It means a lot to me seeing the hits and kudo's climb every other day, even if it is just by one or two. It makes me smile and it motivates me to write
> 
> I hope you have a good morning/day/night/whenever you are reading this!  
> XOXO Tai


	5. Chapter 5

“No, Rin it doesn’t hurt it’s fine, it’s not even that bad,” Ryuuji says, getting off of the bed. Rin already has tears streaming down his face the moment he saw what had happened. His absolute worst nightmare came true. “It’s about an inch long, Rin, it won’t even scar, it just stings a tiny bit. It’s fine.” He walks over to Rin, but Rin scrambles away. 

“Nononono,” Rin says. He looks down at his hands which are shaking and without a second thought he takes off running and runs out of the hotel room. Ryuuji throws his shoes on and runs after Rin, but he isn’t anywhere. Ryuuji goes back up to the hotel room and calls Yukio. He tells him the entire story and when he hangs up he drives back to the academy. Yukio is waiting in the student parking lot with bandages and aloe

“Did you find him?” Ryuuji asks when he gets out of his car. Yukio nods his head and reaches for Ryuuji’s arm. “Wrapping it up in a bandage is only going to make Rin freak out and thing it’s worse than it actually is. It won’t leave a scar… Right?”

“Well, if you leave it unattended, no. It is going to bubble and if you pop it it could get infected and then it will scar,” Yukio says, putting the aloe on the burn. It isn’t that long or wide. It’s almost as if Ryuuji was taking something out of the oven and nicked his arm on the burners.

“It doesn’t hurt,” Ryuuji says. 

“That’s the adrenaline talking,” Yukio says. “You’re freaking out because Rin’s freak out is caused by someone in Erebus’s arsenal and he is still lurking around with his army getting stronger and stronger and Rin is currently MIA.”

“Wait you said you know where he is,”

“I do,” He replies.

“Where?”

“I’m not saying because you’re going to go there and he will feel cornered. Believe, Suguro, I know my brother.” Yukio says. “Keep the burn clean and if it hurts more than what a burn normally should or anything feels off about it, call me. Demonic burns are different than normal burns.” He walks off and Ryuuji goes to Yukio’s dorm. He’s not there, he goes to the apartment, he’s not there either. Or he might be and Lilith and Kuro are hiding him well. 

“We know where he is, he is safe,” Lilith says. Kuro nods his head in agreement. “I know everything is chaotic right now, but you have to listen to me and explain everything that happened that night.”

“He had a nightmare. He got them before, pre-gehenna and he didn’t flame out so I tried to wake him up and he flamed out and I got burned a little bit. It’s nothing bad just…”

“Did you have a feeling that something else was in the room? Because yeah he has nightmares and flames out from them, but that wasn’t a regular nightmare. It was a full blown flashback,” She says. Ryuuji furrows his eyebrows. “What? I was in the shadows making sure you two where going to behave. Thankfully, Ariadne didn’t see me but here’s the deal. She makes these… I don’t even know. ‘Mind mazes’ where you’re trapped in a loop of something traumatizing and his was- I don’t know what he has told you about Gehenna, so we’re gonna leave it up to your own imagination.”

“But you know what happened?”

“Of course, They did the same things to me,” She says “All you need to know is I will rip your throat and stomach out and use it as a bong if you try to pressure him into anything. You hear me?” Ryuuji nods his head, getting an unsettling image of Lilith using his throat and stomach as a bong. 

“He’s safe?” Lilith nods her head.

“I know deep down you know where he is, but you’re going to stop right there, and you’re not going to follow him until he is ready to come back home,” She says “You can stay here if you want, but you’re not going to go after him.” He slowly sits down on the couch and Kuro curls up on his lap and almost instantly fall asleep. 

Ryuuji’s phone buzzes with a message from Yukio. It’s in the class group chat, and he is telling everyone they need to go to the parking lot of the academy because they have a mission. Ryuuji slowly wakes Kuro up, telling him about the mission and he yawns. He drapes himself over Ryuuji’s shoulder.

“Should I call Rin? Or go find him?” Lilith shakes her head. 

“He knows. I texted him,” She says. Ryuuji drives them to the academy and he meets Yukio by a bus.

“Where to?” He asks. 

“Kyoto,” Yukio says. “I’ll explain more on the bus.” He says as the others come sauntering down the walk way to the bus. They all have an over night bag packed and they grabbed an extra for Ryuuji. Everyone files on the bus and it takes off. Ryuuji fidgets uncomfortably because Rin isn’t here. Lilith whispers everything will be fine and he nods like he believes her, but he doesn’t. 

“We are going to Kyoto. You your temple,” He says, looking a Shima, Koneko, and Ryuuji. “There, a sacred relic that belongs to a dangerous demon has been sealed away and the other relic in Tokyo has been taken this morning and we are all being sent to Kyoto to go protect it.”

“What is it?” Shiemi asks. 

“It’s the eye of the Impure King. Now, some of you will be out in the field surveying, others will be helping the infected get better, and you guys will be switching roles so don’t get too comfortable.” Yukio goes more in depth about the mission and how important it is, but the only things Ryuuji can think about is the fact that Rin is MIA. He remembers their conversations about Rin wanting to go see the Kyoto tower. How cruel fate is that the one time they’re going to Kyoto, Rin is no where to be found. Also, he wanted to officially come out to his parents and introduce them to Rin. Not like they probably don’t already know by this point. Well, they haven’t seen him in a bit - the hair, the piercings. Same with Shima. When they first came to the academy, they had a field day with the pure freedom they had. 

“Your mothers are going to be so angry with your hair, and Bon, your mom is going to throw a fit over all the piercings,” Koneko says, trying to break the tension that he sees building up in Ryuuji. No one other than Lilith and Yukio and probably Shura know what’s going on with Rin. Koneko and Shima both are guessing that they broke up. 

_____________________________________________________________________

“Have you come back to finish the job the vatican gave you all that time ago?” the moth demon asks. Rin shakes his head.

“I need space from everyone, I don’t want to hurt anyone else,” Rin says, still looking at his hands. “Good to see you survived Gehenna, Chuchi.” Rin adds, “Even if you did attack us on the school trip.”  
“And you saved my life, so we’re even,” Chuchi replies. 

“Technically, you owe me one,” Rin says. “I saved another forest Gremlin too from being killed. Even if I may have killed half of Gehenna in an hour, I did what I could when Yukio was all… you know,” Chuchi nods their head knowingly. 

“Half child why are you so upset? You have a power greater than mine and you’re half demon,”  
“I don’t have any control over myself,” Chuchi laughs, “What?” 

“Do you not have control of your power or do you not have control of your fear?” 


	6. Chapter 6

The whole trip to Kyoto was miserable. Mainly because Ryuuji kept hearing and feeling his phone buz, thinking it’s Rin texting him, but it’s not. His phone isn’t even buzzing. Lilith has been on hers all during the bus ride to the train station and all on the train. He knows she is talking to Rin. 

As Koneko said, Ryuuji’s mother was pissed about the hair “And the piercings! How many holes did you punch into your body?!” She yells. “Don’t even get me started on you, Renzou, it’s _pink_!”  
“In my defense, Bon’s ‘blonde-hawk’ was red before he got tired of explaining that it was dye on his hands and not blood to the R.A. at the academy,” Shima says. “And Izumo’s hair is purple!”  
“She’s not my daughter,” Bon’s mother says. She sighs heavily. “I expected something like this from you two,” She says. “Anyway, you know where your father is if you want to see him, I can show the others to their room.” Koneko excuses himself to pay his respects to his Family. Shima follows to see his brother. Ryuuji shows everyone to their rooms, and he keeps his eyes fixated on the front door where his mother is greeting the other exorcists and telling them where their rooms are. She turn and sees him staring. 

“You didn’t go see your father?” he shakes his head slowly. 

“I’m waiting on one more person,” Ryuuji says. The doors open and Ryuuji feels his heart skip a beat. He wants Rin to walk through those doors, but Shura comes through instead. She knows the look on Ryuuji’s face. 

“Drop it, Suguro,” Shura says. 

“Is he not coming?”

“He’ll be here,” She says. “Something must have happened to freak him out, because he came to me this morning and took Kurikara back.” Ryuuji doesn’t know how to explain the feeling he feels. It’s a weird one that sits deep in his chest. He doesn’t know what Rin is planning. Is Erebus around and thats why he took the sword? Is he going to help with this mission or is his only goal is Erebus?

“Stop panicking, he is fine,” Shura replies. 

“Well sorry if I have a hard time believing that seeing as he has gone radio silent and everyone is trying to keep me far away from him as if I don’t know how to help him and be there for him - I know what happened-”

“But you don’t. You don’t know what happened in Gehenna,”

“I know he was tortured,”

“How? How was he tortured? Did he ever tell you what was done to him?” Ryuuji slowly shakes his head. “Everyone’s point exactly. They don’t want him to get overwhelmed because when that happens, historically speaking not very good. So, if he shows up, don’t crowd around him.”

“You want me to pretend as if I don’t see him at all?”

“Basically,” Shura replies. She gets called off by Yukio and Ryuuji’s mother walks over to him. 

“Is she who you are waiting for?” she asks. He shakes his head. 

“His name is Rin,” He says. He is about to tell her, but then he doesn’t. He makes up some excuse about being hungry and wanting to grab something to eat and he walks into the inn. Renzou and Koneko are just coming back from seeing Koneko’s family and Renzou’s brother. He meets back up with them as they try to drop subtle hints about wanting to know where Rin is and if they broke up. They are all briefed by Renzou’s dad on how they’re going to go about keeping the eye of the impure king safe and going through protocols. 

“Where is Rin anyway?” Renzou asks. Ryuuji shrugs his shoulders. “How can you not know where your boyfriend is? Aren’t you guys attached at the hip?”

“Unless something happened,” Koneko replies. 

“He freaked out and burned me. He didn’t mean it, but it happened and he freaked out and is now MIA,” Ryuuji replies. 

“Not anymore,” Renzou says, nudging Ryuuji. Hs nead snaps up to the doorway of the meeting and there is Rin - stone faced with Kurikara in his hands, Lilith muttering something to him as Shura approaches. Rin looks everywhere in the room but where Ryuuji is. He looks away from Rin for one second and when he looks up, he and Lilith are slipping out of the room. Ryuuji gets up and does the same. He follows Rin and Lilith until they’re in the courtyard. Ryuuji sees how exhausted Rin looks. Lilith says something to him and he nods and she walks back inside. 

“Are you okay?” Ryuuji asks. Rin looks down and nods his head. “But you’re not sleeping.”

“Do you blame me? You and I both know that night could have gone way worse,” He says. “I’m no stranger to panic attacks or nightmare, but that was Ariadne. I just wanted one night of peace where I’m not always looking over my shoulder or where I’m not scared to fall asleep because I don’t know what they’re going to do.” He sighs heavily. Ryuuji walks closer to Rin to try to comfort him. 

“No, Bon, don’t.” He says “Don’t come closer,”

“Why?”

“Why? Because I’m a powder keg that’s about to explode,” He says. 

“If you’re upset about what happened don’t be. It’s barely even a blister right now. It doesn’t hurt,” 

“Doesn’t make me feel less horrible about it!” He says. “We’re going in circles again. We get close, something happens, I push you away, the cycle repeats itself over and over again.” 

“Well then what should we do? Are you going to call it quits over one tiny thing? Rin it’s not that bad,” Ryuuji says. 

“It’s not ‘one tiny thing’! That’s what you’re not understanding. You don’t understand how after Gehenna I promised I would never hurt anyone like that again because you where right, I am dangerous,” Ryuuji shakes his head. “Don’t shake your head at me you know it deep down that I am dangerous. Everyone does.” 

“Sure, you have powers that come from Satan and that make you ‘dangerous’ but you didn’t mean it, Rin. Thats what _you’re_ not understanding. You didn’t mean it. It was an accident.”  
“What if it happens again? Is it still going to be an accident? What if it keeps on happening. Three is a pattern. Surely it isn’t going to be an accident after three times. Or even two,” He says “I don’t think this is a good idea anymore.”

“It’s because you’re scared, Rin.”

“Damn straight it’s because I’m scared. I’m fucking terrified. I have to constantly be on the look out for triggers and escapes if I feel like I’m going to explode. It’s exhausting and I hate that I always have to think four steps ahead if Erebus or someone he’s aligned with comes back. I haven’t heard anything from Lucifer which is concerning seeing as just about all the time in Gehenna he visited me an now nothing from him. I’m scared if we put all of this baggage behind us, something else is going to happen and you’re going to get hurt.” 

“Well tell me what the triggers are so I can help you work through it or be there for you,” Ryuuji says. Rin shakes his head and Ryuuji feels his heart breaking. “Rin please…” 

“How am I supposed to tell you everything and not have you look at me differently afterwards?” Rin says, his voice small. 

“I won’t look at you differently,”

“My own brother looks at me differently. Shura walks on eggshells around me and goes easy on me during training. Sure no one else knows about what happened but just at the mere mention that I was tortured they’re all looking at me waiting for me to break.”

“I want to know all of the good and all of the bad, Rin. I don’t care if you think I won’t be able to handle it. I can take it. I’ve lived through seeing people burning alive at the hands of Satan. I know my fair share of horror stories.”

“Don’t talk about knowing your fair share of horror stories when those are barely the tip of the iceberg to what really goes on. You’ve never been to Gehenna so don’t talk like you know what it’s like.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this upload is super super late, I had a jam packed day with festivities. Happy Christmas to those of you who celebrate!!!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I will see y'all next week!!  
> XOXO Tai


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this chapter is super late, I had a very busy day, but here this chapter is!!!!!! happy 2021 everyone!!!

“I know it’s barely the tip of the iceberg. I’m trying to tell you that you’re not going to scare me off, Rin. I’m here for the long run if you will let me be here. I can’t promise I’ll be completely emotionless if you do tell me everything in detail. I’m going to be pissed at Erebus and all the others for putting you through all of that. I’m going to be more understanding to why you might not want to hang out or to why you leave rooms without any warning. I’m going to be more tentative to what is a trigger and what isn’t because I don’t want anything to happen to you. Rin you already slipped through my fingers once, I’m not letting it happen again,” Ryuuji says. “Talk to me, what happened in Gehenna. I want to know the whole gross truth of everything.” Rin looks around to see if any one else is in the courtyard. They’re silent for a long while before Rin sighs heavily and opens his mouth to start talking. 

Poor timing on everyone’s part because there is a lot of commotion coming from inside the Inn. Rin and Ryuuji both make their way hastily inside to see what is going on and it’s just a bunch of people arguing. They stand in the doorway listening to back and forth banter about what they should be doing and what their plan of attack needs to be. Through all of the comotion, a buzzer goes off. It means something his happening at the temple. Everyone runs out of the Inn and towards the temple. Ryuuji follows them. Rin hesitates. Shura tosses Kurikara at him and she takes off as well. RIn swallows a lump in his throat, he doesn’t want to draw the sword. Chuchi was right, he has perfect control of his power, just not of his fear. He has let it control his entire life since being back from Gehenna. Fear of Erebus. Fear of what he is and what he is capable of. He looks down at Kurikara and feels the demon inside of him squirming around. 

Rin runs after everyone else an he makes it to the temple right as Ryuuji is face to face with his father. The man looks vaguely familiar. Rin watches as Ryuuji talks ill about his father and says all of his horrible things to him. It was a punch to the gut. Rin said horrible things like that to Shiro before he died. Rin blamed himself and still does years later. 

“Shut the fuck up,” Rin yells. Ryuuji whips around. “Don’t fucking say any of that shit because you’re going to regret it.”

“Rin you wouldn’t understand,” Ryuuji says 

“No I do understand. You’re being stupid! Don’t say that shit to him. Say you’re sorry to him! Now!” Ryuuji snorts and he walks past Rin to leave the temple, but Rin trips him with Kurikara

“What the fuck, Rin?” He says angry.

“I was serious,” Ryuuji picks himself up and walks out of the temple. 

“Rin…” Shura says, her voice is low “You need to get out of here, I can see the head radiating off of your shoulders.” Rin leaves. He knows Ryuuji is probably waiting for him to yell at him about how much he doesn’t understand. It’s really how much Ryuuji doesn’t understand. He doesn’t understand all of the guilt he will carry with him through life if he say something like that to his dad and he ends up dying. 

Ryuuji hears Rin walking behind him. He turns around and goes to say something but he just keeps walking. He turns off of the path with Lilith walking out of the shadows following closely behind him. Shura leaves the temple and follows him too. She has a gun pulled out of her jacket and is clicking the safety off. Ryuuji runs after her. 

“Suguro, go back to the house.  _ Now _ .” She says. His eyes are wide when he sees the gun. “Its a tranq,” She adds, turning the safety off “He is right. You shouldn’t bad mouth your father like that.”

“What would he know?”

“He bad mouthed Shiro before he died. He didn’t die out on the job. Rin said horrible things like you did and Shiro let his guard down. Satan possessed and killed him. Since that day Rin has blamed himself.”

“It’s why he wanted to kill Satan,” Ryuuji says. They hear a loud rustling. 

“Exactly, now go back to the Inn so I can get this under control,” Shura walks off to where blue light is emitting from the forrest. Ryuuji’s stomach twists in knots because he knew Shiro died but he never figured out how. There is still a lot about Rin that he isn’t telling Ryuuji and it makes him kind of sick. He wants to know everything, the good and the bad. He knows he won’t judge Rin because he knows what ever horrible things he did in Gehenna, he didn’t have a choice. He knows everything that happened to him isn’t his fault. Ryuuji starts walking back to the Inn and he hears the gun go off. 

______________________________________________________________________

“You did well, Enyo,” Erebus says, patting the top of her head. Ignoring her flinching. She’s so used to every touch being painful. 

“W-What is next?” She asks, trying to sound like she is on his side but she ever so desperately wants to run away. 

“Now we wait and see what unfolds. That, dear sister, is the best type of chaos. The one where you just get the ball rolling and let everything else snow ball and cause destruction. Sit back and enjoy the show,” He says, siting on the throne Satan used to sit in. “Amaimon before you ask, you time to shine is soon.”

“It better be, I’m getting tired of waiting,”

“Oh feel free to kill your boredom in the dungeons. Since I took over here the dungeons have gone soft,” Erebus says.

“‘Since you took over here’?” Lucifer walks into the room. “No, Erebus. You’re just the face of the operation. Get off of the throne, it’s not made for you. I thought you would have already progressed with everything by now. The Vatican is out of the Illuminati’s hair.” 

“Not you breathing down my neck as well,” Erebus says. He leans forward on Satan’s throne. “When you watch a movie, do you just skip to the juicy parts or do you start at the beginning and stick it out through all the build up. We can’t just go all willy nilly, we have to be strategic about every move so the Vatican doesn’t suspect us behind anything.”

“Rin suspects us. Lilith as well. Plus, you’re not as clean as you think. You’re as sloppy as they come. How many times has Kakia lost Lilith when she is following her? How many times have you guys gotten Rin’s warning shots with the flames? You know what I mean, when you get to close, the toes to your shoes or your fingertips spark up with the flames, leaving burn marks. He doesn’t trust me anymore even though I got him out of here-”

“- out of pity.”

“I didn’t agree with what Satan was doing to him. There are other ways to make his trust more ‘malleable’. Torture only made him dig his heels in more. Nevertheless, let’s fast forward through this show. Wether you like it or not, we’re on a time crunch,” He says. Looking at Enyo standing proudly in the room beside her brother. Yes, Lucifer is a demon, but he’s one of the very few demons who shows more humanity than most. He did hate what happened to Rin because he believed with the right manipulation and word choice they could have easily gotten Rin to do what they wanted him to. Now, he believes that a battlefield such as this is no place for Enyo. 

“Is there more, Lucifer?”

“Yes,” He says “Why are you dragging your little sister into this, Erebus? You know she is too young-”

“Bullshit, you’re never too young to be in a war,”

“She is,” Lucifer says. “We’re not going to kill her innocence, you hear me? She’s out. No more doing your bidding.”  
“She’s our jackall against them. They won’t kill a child,”

“Rin might not, but the Vatican sees a demon as a demon. They don’t care for age.”

“And?” Erebus asks, waiting for Lucifer’s point because all he sees is Enyo’s power and not that deep down she is a child. Lucifer mumbles something and he leaves the room. “What did you say?!” Erebus yells after Lucifer. 

“I can’t wait to watch you fall flat on your face.” He disappears behind the door. Erebus clenches his hands into tight fists.


	8. Chapter 8

“Are we going to finish our conversation from yesterday night?” Ryuuji asks Rin during breakfast. 

“No because someone took the eye of the impure king and all hell is about to break lose and that’s more important than my drama,” Rin says. His arm is sore from where the the tranq hit him and he is still groggy from it. 

“Nothing is happening right now, it’s the calm before the storm,”  
“When we go back home maybe,” Rin says, letting his head fall into his hands. Kuro is sitting curled up on his lap as he forces himself to finish his breakfast. He doesn’t have much of an appetite. Shura said it’s normal when someone wakes up from being tranqed to not have much of an appetite. 

“Rin, you should take it easy today,” Shura says walking past his table. Rin nods his head and yawns. 

“I’ll stay with you-”

“No you’re going to go make yourself useful. I’m not because I still can’t draw Kurikara. I don’t want to. I know I have to but I can’t so I’m going to sort that out and you help everyone else and try not to be a dick to your dad. We hung out this morning and he is trying,” Rin says, stumbling to his feet. He walks off with Kuro at his feet and Kurikara in his hand. 

“You guys totally broke up or something,” Renzou says sitting down across from Ryuuji

“No we didn’t,” Ryuuji says “We never said if that was what’s going to happen.”

“What happened?”

“We went on a little ‘vacation’ and he had a nightmare and I was accidentally burned. He can’t forgive himself for it so he is pushing me away. It doesn’t hurt anymore, only if something presses against it. He was going to open up to me about Gehenna when everything happened last night. Then he got angry about what I said to my dad and got all worked up over it and flamed out so Shura tranqed him and he is still keeping his distance from me.”

“Why don’t you stay with him for today. We’ll call you if we need you.”

“He already told me to go,”

“Well he is still all loopy from the tranq. Stay with him. You guys are endgame. Who knows this could all be a ploy to get Rin alone,” Renzou says. Ryuuji debates it but he figures it’s better to give Rin his space when he asks for it. He just hopes that Renzou is wrong and that this isn’t all a ploy to get Rin alone. 

Rin stays in his room trying to sleep the tranq off and an unsettling feeling in his stomach. He wills himself to believe that everyone is going to be fine and that nothing is going to go wrong. That is until he starts to feel the ground rumble. His first instinct is to reach for Kurikara. He summons a hellfire hound an they run around the property to do a perimeter check. Nothing. He looks out the window and sees the Impure King on the mountain slowly growing. Rin jams his feet into his shoes and he starts running. 

_ Rin! Get on!  _ Kuro yells. He’s four times his normal size. Rin jumps on Kuro’s back and they take off. 

“How beautiful, I know,” Rin hears someone say. He looks over and keeping perfect pace with Kuro is Erebus. Rin keeps his cool and pushes the panic down his throat. Erebus disappears. Rin knows it’s most likely Ariadne at it again because Erebus won’t leave Gehenna or the throne because he thinks someone will take it. While he may not be in Gehenna, he hears things from lower level demons that are loyal still to Satan and see Rin as an extension of the longest reigning powerhouse in Gehenna. 

His classmates are all tasked with trying to keep the miasma back and keep everything contained but it’s growing faster than they all expected. Looks like the impure king is pissed that he was killed and he is making a comeback. 

“Rin!?” Ryuuji calls. Rin turns and lunges at Ryuuji because some of the miasma was hurling in his direction. “What are you doing here? I thought you where going to rest.”

“You’re getting infected by the miasma, Ryuuji,” Rin says nearly emotionlessly. “You should go see if Shiemi can do anything… You to Koneko.” He walks past both of them and looks around at the miasma slowly slugging down the mountain. Ryuuji is trying to find Rin somewhere in his eyes but the Rin that is looking back is emotionless. He knows his mind is going a million miles a minute about what is going on. 

Everyone is surprised to see Rin. No one expected him to be here. He starts walking on a narrow path that leads closer to the centre of where the impure king’s eyes are. Kuro shrinks and jumps on Rin’s shoulder. Ryuuji doesn’t listen to Rin and he follows him.

“You’re not going to that thing alone,”

“ _ They _ are  _ here _ , Ryuuji. Of course I’m going to that thing alone. No one is going with me and no one is going to be collateral damage,” Rin says, continuing to walk down the path. 

_ I am in control  _ Rin tells himself with every step.  _ I am in control. I am in control. _ He brings Kurikara up and tries to unsheath it. It doesn’t budge. With it sheathed, he swats another chunk of the miasma that was hurling towards Ryuuji.  _ I am in control.  _ He repeats. 

“We have to get as close to the centre as possible and I think I know how to contain the miasma for a little bit. I know the incantation and I can hold off on everything until you can get in there and kill it,” Ryuuji says Rin stops walking, not wanting to involve Ryuuji in this because he doesn’t want him to get hurt. “Rin we can do this, it’s the safest thing to do right now. We got this.”

“If things get hairy, get the fuck out of there. I’m not as effected by the miasma as all of you.” Rin says. 

_ I will drag him out if you give me the word  _ Kuro says. Rin nods his head. Him and Ryuuji make their way fast like through the woods and on the Miasma lined path until they are forced the climb up the trees. Rin scenes more demonic presences than just the impure king. He knows at the least, Mephisto is here. He knows Amaimon is lurking in the shadows and Ariadne is here. He pushes all of the fear away and focuses on the important things - killing the Impure King and keeping everyone safe. They climb up as high as they can go in a tree and look for a clearing. 

“There,” Rin points to a huge rock that isn’t covered by the Miasma. “Can you do it there?” Ryuuji nods his head. Kuro becomes a giant again and the two climb on his back as he leaps to the rock. He shrinks when they’re safely on the rock to make more room for everyone. 

“I’m going to go ahead and distract it, you do what you need to. Once everything is set up, I’m going in for the kill.” Ryuuji nods and watches as Rin turns on his heel to go off and make sure Ryuuji isn’t under any fire. 

“Rin wait,” He turns around. “Please make it back in one piece.”

“I’ll try,” He says. He runs across the miasma, watching it bubble and try to catch him every time he steps down. Rin is too fast. Anything hat flies towards Ryuuji he sets on fire. Hell anything that flies anywhere in his peripheral vision, he sets on fire. 

_ If you let me out I can save them all  _ Something snarls. Rin knows that snarl because it’s his own. He knows the demon inside of him is getting antsy.  _ I promise I’ll be good. We killed Satan together, remember how much fun that was?  _ Rin ignores him as he hits the impure king with the sword sheathed trying to get his attention away from Ryuuji. A beam of light shoots up into the sky from where Ryuuji is crouched down. An orange yellow dome covers the area around the Impure King. Rin’s leg snags on something and he falls. The miasma covers him and his fight or flight kicks in. The demon gets lose and he ignites. The miasma recedes. He is still engulfed with the flame, even as Rin is desperately trying to gain control again. When he does, he doesn’t know how much time has passed and only that something has exploded and there is so much more miasma trapped inside of this dome. Rin turns and sees Ryuuji fall over and then the dome falls. Everything slows as he sees this huge claw looking arm start barreling straight for Ryuuji. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Right on a cliffhanger tooo..... I am the devil incarnate.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this upload and had a good new years!!!!!!! I went axe throwing with family friends of ours and I also got to go skate which was nice. Anyway, I'll see y'all next friday where the uploads will be on time XD


	9. Chapter 9

Kuro tries to pick Ryuuji up and move him out of there but they are trapped. There isn’t anywhere he can easily leap too. Ryuuji used all of his strength keeping the barrier up and everything is a very hazy. He begins to think that he is going to die when he sees the huge claw come hurtling towards him. He braces for impact. Only it never comes. He senes this huge bright light and when he looks up he sees Rin. Not only has he completely flamed out, but he has Kurikara drawn. Ryuuji doesn’t now if the demon has taken over or if it is Rin. The last thing he remembers is watching Rin lunge at the Impure King and stabbing him right in the eye and then everything for Ryuuji fades out. 

He remembers bits and pieces of everything afterwards. Being carried on a stretcher, his mother freaking out, Shiemi telling him everything is going to be fine. Yukio running around looking panicked. Lilith poking her head in and out of the room as if she is looking for someone. Kuro standing by Ryuuji’s side keeping an eye out for him while he sleeps off the effects of the miasma and the treatment for it. He doesn’t remember seeing or hearing from Rin. Not even when he wakes up fully and can keep food down. He walks to where everyone is eating and he doesn’t see Rin.

“Where is he?” he asks Shura who has a plate full of food in her hands. 

“Resting,” She says. 

“Is he okay?” Ryuuji asks. 

“Yeah,” She says. 

“Theres a but…” Ryuuji says slowly.

“He’s still out. He is fine, just exhausted. He was able to bring himself back and he helped out with the infected. He was able to burn the miasma off of the without hurting anyone and he just passed out from exhaustion. He is in his room right now,” Ryuuji takes off towards Rin’s room. He is sleeping soundly in his bed. When Ryuuji walks in the room, he wakes up and lifts his tried head.

“Sorry did I wake you?”

“Well, I could hear you from the hallway… Demon senses,” Ryuuji awkwardly sits down on a chair as Rin sits up in his bed and rubs the sleep out of his eyes. “You feeling alright?” Ryuuji nods his head. They are silent and Ryuuji stares at the floor. “Come here.” Rin says, laying back down and holding the covers open for Ryuuji. He doesn’t hesitate. He crawls into the bed with Rin. He buries his face in his chest, being relaxed by hearing his heartbeat. 

“Thank you for not dying,” Rin says. Ryuuji snorts. 

“You too,” Rin kisses Ryuuji’s forehead. “I’m tired of running and hiding from everything.”

“So you’re going to still be an exorcist after we get rid of Erebus?” 

_______________________________________________________________

“You fucking  _ lost _ her?” Erebus yells at Amaimon. “How do you lose a little girl?!”

“I have an answer, but I don’t think you would like it very much,” Amaimon says, as Ariadne and Kakia try not to laugh. 

Erebus’s jaw twitches as he punches his temple, “You had one simple task, to make sure she is doing what she is doing as well as making sure that Rin goes down the path that we want him to. Not only have you lost my sister but you didn’t even watch Rin at all.”

“I as too busy trying to find Enyo! She’s tiny and as skinny as a twig, she just slips right through your fingers if you’re not paying attention. It’s not like it was my intentions!”

“Was anyone outside of you, me, Enyo and the girls that was there?” 

“Mephisto was. He had popcorn. I think I saw Lucifer, but there where a lot of blondes wearing suits there so I don’t know.” Amaimon sees Erebus’s blood boiling. “I still don’t understand why we shouldn’t just go in for the kill! He is sleeping right now. We could get Rin’s lover boy as well.”

“This is my plan! Not yours! Get out of my face while I do damage control,” Amaimon leaves the throne room while Erebus tries to figure out how he is going to find his sister. Amaimon is right, Enyo is small and she can just slip through your fingers if you’re not careful. She disappears even more if she has help. As much as Erebus likes to think he is the master behind all of these plans, he’s not. Everyone knows Lucifer is the real puppet master. Showing pity here and there and getting people to trust him because he shows false humanity for his own personal gain. 

Yes, he helped Enyo escape, but he isn’t done with her. She’s not going to be in the war anymore, but he knows she is going to go to Rin and she will tell him everything. He will take out Erebus and then Lucifer can really take over and run the show. He needed Erebus to be the face of everything so everyone is not only blindsided about his rise to power, but they are frazzled and trying to figure out how to stop him. Lucifer watches as Enyo runs through the woods towards the house to go find Lilith and Rin. She runs and runs until she is standing at the front door of the inn. She frantically knocks on the door. Ryuuji’s mother opens the door to her and at first she doesn’t recognise who Enyo is.

“I need- I need to see Rin,” She says, shaking visibly. Ryuuji’s mother crouches down so she is eye level with the girl. 

“Where are your parents?” She asks. 

“Dead,” She replies. “Erebus killed them. W-Where is Rin?” She brings her to Rin’s room where he is sleeping with Ryuuji. Rin sits up when he hears the door open and Ryuuji does the same, though he isn’t as alert as Rin is. Rin see’s Enyo and his eyes get wide. 

“Enyo!” Rin gets off of the bed and walks over to her. She leaps away from Ryuuji’s mother and clings to Rin. She starts going on and on and on about everything Erebus is planing and what he is going to do. Ryuuji is still groggy and doesn’t understand what this little girl is saying to Rin. She weaves in and out of speaking an old form of Latin - which impresses Ryuuji when he hears Rin respond in the same dialect. He sure as hell learned a lot in Gehenna. Rin sets her down.

“Ryuuji will keep you safe, okay? Why don’t you go shower and get cleaned up,” Rin jams his feet in his shoes and grabs Kurikara which is leaning against the desk in the room. 

“Woah, woah Rin wait where are you going?”

“Lucifer is here,” Rin replies. “I’m going to end this, Bon. I’ll be careful. Watch Enyo for me, please.” He kisses Ryuuji’s forehead without explaining anything and he walks through the woods, following the familiar smell of Lucifer. He gets out of view of the Inn and Amaimon jumps out of the tree and lands right in front of him. Rin slashes his sword once and Amaimon’s arm falls on the ground. He screams in pain and Rin steps over his body and continues walking. He knows he’s close to Lucifer. 

“Rin, my dear old friend,” he turns to the side and see’s Lucifer walking towards him. “Long time no see. I’m so glad you took care of Amaimon. He was going to rip the whole inn to-” Rin puts Kurikara up to Lucifer’s throat. “-woah, woah, what am I missing here? I took you out of Gehenna. I saved you and look where you and Ryuuji are! You’re welcome. If I never showed you how much he missed you and his true feelings for you you two would never be where you are.”

“You’re working with Erebus. Don’t lie to me,”

“We may have some... ‘common goals’. But I was never going to let him kill you,”

“No, you where going to let Erebus raise an army and you where going to give me the drop on him and then you where going to rise in his place and do fuck all,”

“Huh, Enyo’s more a fly on the wall than I thought she was,”

“‘Lucifer first, then Erebus’,” Rin replies. 

“You’re seriously going to believe the sister of-”

“No monologue moments,” Rin says heartlessly and with the blink, Lucifer’s head falls detached. His body follows with a thud. He turns and sees Shura looking back at him with her jaw dropped.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW:: Torture and rape/non-con. As always it is marked in the with ***

“You killed  _ Lucifer _ ?” Yukio exclaims. “How?”

“He was letting Erebus’s little sister go and she told me about Lucifer’s plans and she helped me be able to get ahead and kill Lucifer. He also thought he could talk his way out of it because he thought I was ‘honourable’,”

“What about all of the others?” Yukio asks. “Isn’t this putting a bigger target on your back for the other demons in Gehenna?”

“Everyone is scared of me in Gehenna,” Rin replies. “They’re not going to even try anything. Maybe Amaimon might, or Mephisto, but people usually stay clear of me because of everything that happened. Now, the Vatican can go into Illuminati territories and dismantle everything because my deal ends with Lucifer. He and Satan are dead for good. Nothing can bring them back. Erebus already knows by now so we all need to be extra extra careful, okay?” Lilith takes Enyo back to the apartment to help her her settled in. They all pack everything up to head back home. Except for Rin and Ryuuji.

“I have a little surprise for you,” Ryuuji says, taking Rin’s hand. Rin follows Ryuuji - on a bus, a cab and through the busy streets of Kyoto. “Close your eyes.” Ryuuji says as he guides Rin down the street. They walk about a mile before Ryuuji tells him to open his eyes. Rin looks up and right there is the Kyoto tower. Rin jumps with excitement and practically runs towards it. Ryuuji beams with joy as he sees the childish Rin he hasn’t seen in nearly a year now come out. The childish Rin who has all the one liners who sleeps in class who has petty quarrels with his brother. The Rin who is so innocent in the land of being an exorcist and had Ryuuji explain so much to him because he doesn't know everything as well as he does. 

The Rin that first stole his heart is running around, amazed at the sights form the top of the tower. Yes, he loves the Rin he has gotten to know now, but the playful Rin is nostalgic. They linger around in Kyoto, have dinner with Ryuuji’s parents before they make their way back home. Lilith and Enyo are already asleep by the time they get home. She is sleeping in Lilith’s room and Lilith is on the couch by the time they stumble in. They both flop down on the bed in Rin’s room, more exhausted than either of them have ever been.

“I’m going to miss you out on the field when all of this is over,” Ryuuji says. 

“I’ll be the house wife you never asked for. I mean I can cook after all,” Ryuuji smiles. “You’ll always have me to come to, Bon. I’m not going anywhere. I promise.”

“Good,”

“I’m also not going to push you away anymore,” Rin says. “When things get too chaotic. I’m not going to push you away you don’t deserve it-” he sits up and Ryuuji follows. “-In Gehenna-”

“You don’t have to, Rin if you really don’t want to,” Ryuuji says 

“I want to,” Rin says.

“You’re sure?” He nods “You can stop when ever you want, okay?” He nods again. 

*** “In Gehenna, you know I was tortured. They did it any way they could think of. Splinters under my finger nails, breaking my bones. They also used to take knives and they would slice my neck and wait until I’m seconds away from dying and as I’m choking on my own blood, they would have a healer head everything and I would be back good as new. Only being that close to death so many times, changes you. There where days where I would try to lean into the blades so I would die instantly. I would try to burn the healers because I didn’t want to see what tomorrow brought. That wasn’t the only things they did to me - Erebus, to Lilith and I, he-” His breathing hitches. Rin pushes it all down telling himself that he is in control because he is. “He raped us. I could tell when it was that day for me because Lilith would be screaming bloody murder for him to stop and then when he came into my cell, Lilith would tell me to think of the good memories. To cram myself in the good memories and completely dissociate with what was happening.

*** “I did, but it doesn’t make me forget anything that happened. I was still feeling everything that happened and it was horrible. I remember the screams and the smells and the pain from all of the torture. Some days are worse than others but sometimes it’s the small things that bother me. The way a shadow looks. The way someone talks. It’s not like you can baby-proof everything in my life so I’m never ever triggered by eveything because so much happened to me there that the list would go on and on and on for years about every bit of torture they did on me. I was a shell of myself when I was there and when I came back. When I was here, I was trying and trying and trying so hard to not be a shell of myself. I didn’t remember how it felt to be unbothered by all of this. But today. Today when we went up to the tower and had dinner with your parents. I felt normal. I forgot about Gehenna and I forgot about everything Satan made me do I forgot about it all.

“I’m going to have good days and bad days and amazing days and horrible days and I didn’t want to tell you because I didn’t want you always worrying about me. I know you are here for me, but it’s hard to go from every touch being harmful to being looked at the way you look at me. To being loved despite what I am.”

“It’s despite who you are, Rin. Not what you are,” Ryuuji says. “Maybe despite what you have been through. You’re not a what, you’re a who. Half demon, full demon, you’re not a what.” Rin smiles. 

“That is incredibly cringey,” Rin says.

“I know but I’m serious,” Ryuuji says. They fall asleep, but Enyo can’t sleep. She walks into Rin and Ryuuji’s room and wakes Rin up. He walks with her into the living room and they sit on the couch. She lays her head in Rin’s lap and he very gently runs his fingers through her newly unmatted hair. She flinches a little bit and it takes her a moment before she is able to tell herself that he isn’t going to hurt her. 

“Ryuuji doesn’t trust me. I can smell it off of him,” She says. 

“He knows what Erebus put me through and he just needs time. Everyone is on edge about anything Erebus related. If they see I trust you Ennie, they will trust you too, okay?” He says “When all of this is over we can go camping and you can go to school. I remember you were saying you want to go to school when we were in Gehenna.” She sits up and smiles. 

“Really? You’re going to let me go to school?”

“Yes,” She giggles and wraps her arms around Rin, hugging him tightly. 

“Thank you thank you thank you thank you!” She say.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am posting these the night before tomorrow because I have another super busy day tomorrow and don't want to forget! I hope you guys enjoyed this upload I'll see you next week!!
> 
> XOXO


	11. Chapter 11

“You’re going to take her in?” Ryuuji asks Rin in the morning as he is carrying Enyo into his and Ryuuji’s room. Ryuuji waits in the doorframe as Rin gently sets her down on his side of the bed and pulls the overs over her. Rin walks out of the room and he closes the door quietly behind him. 

“Yes. I know you don’t trust her but I do,” he replies. “I’m the best person to look after her, Bon. I know you may not think so, but I am the best person to look after her. Enyo has already learned how to control her emotions, something I couldn’t do at 7 and sometimes can’t even. Which is contradictory to my point but she trusts me and she told me Erebus’s plan so I know where to go and what to do. I took out Lucifer first and Erebus is going to be so scattered so this will be easy. Then we can go on a real vacation. Lilith said she will take over in Gehenna so then we know everything there will be fine. We have someone we can trust who is going to take over. Now you’re going to be late if you don’t get a move on.” Rin says, bouncing up to his tip toes and kissing Ryuuji’s cheek. 

“You think you can take care of her? Rin you’re barely 17,”

“Barely 20 if you count my years in Gehenna, almost 20 if you count the fact that my birthday is in three months,” Rin says. “I got this, Bon. The guys are going to making innuendos if you’re late again so get going.” Ryuuji rolls his eyes and kisses Rin goodbye before walking out of the house. Rin starts making breakfast when Lilith rolls out of bed. 

“Where is the munchkin?” She asks.

“I moved her to my room after Bon and I woke up this morning,” Rin says, handing her a cup of coffee. “I’m going to see about finding myself an apartment for Enyo, Bon, Kuro and I.” Rin says, getting some food for Kuro out of the cabinet. There is a demon “black market” down the street from the house. It’s where most of their food has come from. Rin is close with the people there because they all hate Erebus and Lucifer and Satan. Either you love them or you’re scared shitless of them. As well as exchanging food and other goods, they also trade intel. These demons don’t cause harm and the Vatican has a hard time understanding that. If Rin hears about a raid at one of the blackmarket spots, he will tell them and they move shop. The one closest to Rin’s apartment is hidden so well, that it has been operating for thirty years.

“Are you going to the store later on today?” Lilith asks. 

“I was going to go tomorrow. Yukio needs some things Shiemi and her mother don’t grow in their backyard.” Rin says. Enyo stumbles out of the room and flops down on the couch. “Good morning, Enyo. I’m cooking eggs and toast if you would like some.” She picks herself up and walks to the little table just outside of the kitchen and she plops herself down. 

_ “How is Bon liking the idea of you taking her in?”  _ Lilith asks in their language they made up while in Gehenna. 

_ “I think he thinks I’m in over my head or something. I mean technically I’m an adult and I know I can raise her, Lilith. I know just as well as you do what happened in Gehenna. Plus I’ve lived in Assiah and grew up here long enough to know kind of how this world works. I know how to help her. She never should have been put on the front lines or even on any lines in this ‘shadow war’ Erebus and I have started.” _

_ “I don’t mind helping,” _ Lilith says.  _ “And if you’re serious about taking her in, you’re going to have to look at getting your own place. You know I love you and Bon and Little Ennie, but there are two rooms here and there are four of us. I love you all through the pits of Gehenna all the way past the stars, but you guys are not all going to be living here.”  _ Rin laughs.

“I was going to look online for a place,”

“I think there is a place down the hall from here, Ennie could have her own room and everything where she can decorate it how ever she wants,” Lilith says, sitting next to Enyo as Rin gently sets a plate of eggs and toast in front of her. She thanks Rin and scarfs them down seeing as even though her and Rin got the munchies late last night and ate an entire bag of chips, she is still starving. Erebus didn’t feed her well in Gehenna. He let her find her own food which aggravates Rin because he would do anything to make sure Yukio was fed and healthy. Erebus has just let her fend for herself and it makes him angrier than ever. 

_ “We have to get Erebus sooner rather than later,”  _ Rin says, making himself something to eat.  _ “I don’t like the idea of him going awol because Lucifer is dead as well.” _

_ “Well, if Lucifer is out of the picture and he was playing puppet master to Erebus, he is going to be all scatter brained and he is going to be sloppy. We can use this to our advantage. Tomorrow see what you can get from the market, intel wise, and we will go from there. We don’t have to tell the Vatican everything, now do we? I mean you pulled out two huge thorns in the vatican’s side. You’re way more than the golden child. You’re like the teletubbies sun baby.” _

_ “Never call me the teletubbies sun baby ever again,”  _ Rin laughs 

_ “It’s true tho!”  _ Lilith says.  _ “We have heavy warding on the apartment that not even the vatican can detect. They still think that we live on campus”  _ Rin hears Enyo’s stomach growl still as she licks her plate clean. 

“Would you more?” Enyo’s eyes get wide. 

“That’s allowed? I’m allowed to get more?” Rin nods his head. 

“Even better, I can show you how to make them so if you’re ever hungry, you know how to make scrambled eggs and toast, sound good?” She nods her head and they walk into the kitchen. 

______________________

“They’re around here,” Kakia says. “I sense strong warding in this general area so there must be some type of safety dome or whatever that protect them. I always lose Lilith a block back, so I thought they were living with the traders or something like that but no. They’re living like humans. Hell, even the Vatican can’t find them.”

“And you’re sure they’re in there?” Ariadne asks. 

“Yes, I’m sure As much as Erebus loves to say I’m just sitting with my thumbs up my ass, I actually do pay attention. When I lose Lilith I go find Rin or his friends and follow them. I’m an walking encyclopedia of their routines. I know Renzou Shima is going to a party and I know I can go there because it’s off campus. I can sweet talk him a little bit, see who else I can get close to-”

“No, Kakia,” Ariadne replies. “We keep our heads down and do what Erebus tells us because you saw what he did when Amaimon he came back with one arm. You saw what he did.” Kakia sighs. 

“I don’t know if I pity him more for believing that Erebus could bring Satan back or pity him for watching Erebus completely burn Satan’s body that has been stinking up the whole palace.”

“Well you know what they say about home, no smell goes away, it just layers and layers and layers. It’s gotten worse since the Spawn massacre. All of the rotting bodies. The ghouls love it because its food. It gives m the chills watching them slurp up veins like pasta,” She shivers. Ariadne ties her light hair back and starts walking forward. “What are you doing? You can’t just walk into the warding. They will know and they must have so many booby traps. It’s not a good idea, Ari. We will find another way. Or we will smoke them out.”

“Well you better think of something quick because I hate to see what Erebus will do now that he has lost Enyo and Lucifer,” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> theyareafamilytheyareafamilytheyareafamily
> 
> I am astonished in how adorable Enyo is. I-


	12. Chapter 12

“So what you’re telling me is that you know where Rin, Lilith and Enyo are and yet you didn’t do anything?” Erebus asks, gripping the arm rests of the throne so hard his knuckles are turning white. 

“We couldn’t,” Ariadne says. “There is heavy warding around the apartment building and we thought if we did find a way in there would be too many unpredictable booby traps and we would like to get all of this done and over with. We are working on a plan of smoking them out.”

“We have some of our connections working the area to see if they can find any weak spots in the warding or a way to get rid of it.” Kakia adds. 

“Well, if you’re going to smoke them out,” He leans forward for dramatics. “Then set the whole fucking place on fire.”

“What about-”

“The humans and other demons that will get caught in the crossfire? Fuck them all.”  
“No. What about Enyo?” Ariadne watches as an unreadable expression twists Erebus’s stress ridden and bloodstaine face. 

“She will wish she burned in the fire when she gets back here. Get out of my fucking face and bring me Enyo and Rin and Lilith,” He yells so loud it echoes. Ariadne and Kakia walk out of the throne room and down to their broom closet they call their bedroom. Kakia stands looking out of the tiny window. On the ground around the castle lives the barracks for all of the demons preparing to reign hell on Assiah. They’re just waiting for Erebus’s cue. She begins to wonder what will happen to Gehenna if Erebus stays incontrol. What will happen if Rin ends up killing him?

“If Rin kills Erebus, who will take over?”

“One of the other Spawns will. Maybe Mephisto will finally do as he was told in case this happened. He is the demon of Gehenna after all and he is slumming it up in Assiah with Amaimon.”

“Well Amaimon isn’t aligning himself with Erebus anymore, I take it. Despite the fact that Erebus did help him regrow his arm with those flower leaf shit he gave him.” 

“Ariadne, we’re clearly on the losing side,” She says.

“We’re not flip flopping to their side either,” Ariadne says 

“No, but we could run away. I hear Canada is nice this time of year,”

“It’s fucking cold there this time of year,”

“We’ve spent millenia melting in hell. It’s time for a change… until everything calms down a bit,”

“Erebus will find us,”  
“Not if we use the same warding Rin used on his apartment. It’s fool proof we can do this. Freedom is only a hop, skip and a few countries away.” 

“If not Erebus, then Rin. He will find us,”

“He won’t do anything if we’re not hurting anyone. It’s about time we see what all the rave about living as a human is, huh? We could run one of those undercover trading networks or something. The one the vatican hate. We could do one of those! That will be fun! We’re not hurting anyone, hell some of the stuff on the market can help the exorcists! We will be doing them a favour, turning over a new leaf like Rin has. No one is scared of him…. Aside from all of Gehenna. But that’s beside the point.”

“We’ll sleep on it,” Ariadne replies, laying down on her bed. It’s tiny and uncomfortable and she hates it. Secretly she wishes and hopes for Erebus’s downfall. She doesn’t want to be apart of a war. Especially when his powers are so meek compared to other demons yet he has the throne. It’s genuinely aggravating. 

________________________________________

It didn’t take Rin long before he found an apartment within the same complex as Lilith. His apartment is down the hall from Lilith’s and they are set up the same. Ryuuji still isn’t sold on the idea of Rin raising Enyo. He still doesn’t know if he can trust her yet. Which the more and more he thinks about it, he feels dumb for not trusting her because she is a fucking 7 year old and hasn’t given him any reason to doubt him except for the fact that she is Erebus’s little sister. Ryuuji figured if he can love Rin, the son of Satan, than there is space in his heart for Enyo. Plus, coming home to Rin teaching Enyo how to cook or helping her with her homework is a bonus. 

He is is iffy on everything about her, but there are moments when Rin acts like such a dad that makes Ryuuji’s heart just absolutely melt. Like when he comes home late and Enyo is having difficulty sleeping and he has her in his arms wrapped up in a blanket. Every morning she hugs Rin good morning. On the weekends when Ruuji sleeps in, he wakes up to the two of them giggling over playing some board game in the kitchen, or to them making food in the kitchen. Ryuuji knows Rin is cramming seven years of a childhood she should have had into the few weeks she has been with them for. 

If he isn’t completely sold on the idea of raising her, he knows he will eventually come around because Rin looks calm and content and they have never been better. Ryuuji has made piece with the fact that Rin will be retired after everything goes down with Erebus. He knows Rin has deserved a break from this life. It may have taken him a little bit to understand it from his perspective, but he got there. 

Tonight, he is hanging out with the guys. They have a big test coming up and they were going to work on studying together and then they were going to play video games or just hang up. They haven’t seen much of Ryuuji since he moved out of the dorm and officially moved in with Rin. 

“Rin took in Erebus’s little sister?” 

“Yeah, I don’t get how he looks at her and not sees him,” Ryuuji says. 

“Maybe because he can differentiate that she had no part in his torture seeing as how she would have been 5ish maybe 4. Besides hasn’t he said that she was as well locked up in Gehenna?” Ryuuji nods. “No offense, but maybe it’s you who still has some PTSD that needs working through.” Koneko says, closing his text book. 

“No. I didn’t go to Gehenna and I wasn’t tortured,”

“True, while you weren’t down there, it’s kind of like second hand embarrassment… Only with trauma,” Koneko says. “Enyo didn’t torture Rin. If anything she has helped him because Lucifer is gone and Erebus has one shoe out the door. I heard the Vatican is closing in on him because they are cracking down on all of the Illuminati's safe houses or labs or whatever the term is.” 

“If Rin trusts her, than she must be good,” Shima replies. “If she was bad, she could have gotten the drop on all of us, you know? I trust her.” Ryuuji shrugs his shoulders and they continue with studying until it’s late and Ryuuji wants nothing more than to lay in his bed with Rin by his side. When he walks into the apartment he sees Rin standing up, swaying back and forth with Enyo wrapped up in a blanket. He looks exhausted and it is super late. Enyo’s head snaps in the direction of the door when she hears Ryuuji come through. 

“It’s just Bon,” Rin says softly. “Erebus can’t find us here, we are safe.” She lays her head back down on Rin’s shoulder. Ryuuji walks over to Rin and kisses his cheek. Ryuuji changes into comfy clothes and when he walks out he sees Rin sitting on the couch with Enyo on his lap half asleep. 

“Everything okay?”

“She had a bad dream,” Rin replies as Ryuuji sits down on the couch next to him. “How was hanging out with the guys?”

“Good. We couldn’t focus for more than twenty minutes at a time on the studying, but it was nice to just hang out with them,”

“You know just because you’ve moved in doesn’t mean that we have to be attached at the hip all of the time. You can hang out with them if you want.” 

“I know,” Ryuuji smiles. “I’m just making up for lost time when you where in Gehenna.” Rin smiles softly and they watch the movie on the TV. They keep their normal running commentary in hushed voices so Enyo doesn’t wake up seeing as she is completely asleep in Rin’s arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Friday loves!!!!! I'm in a hella good mood today for no discernible reason so I'm sending good vibes to all of you. 
> 
> XOXO  
> Tai


	13. Chapter 13

“Rin do you have to go?” Enyo whines.

“This is an important meeting,” Rin replies, handing her a breakfast plate. “This is about intel on Erebus. Bon is here and I’ll be back around noon, I’ll call you when I’m on my way home, sound good?” She looks down at her breakfast with a sad face. “This is just us seeing if we can pin point where he is. Then when we can do that, we can make sure he will never hurt anyone again. If it’s between you and me, I don’t want to go to this meeting at all. But, I have to.”  
“But i need help with my homework,” She says. 

“Bon is really good at school. He is top of his class,”

“But then how come you became an exorcist before him?”

“I learned a lot while I was in Gehenna, but that’s beside the point. He can help you, I promise. Maybe you guys can have a nerf gun war. Everything is in the closet,” she smiles, thinking of all the trick shots Rin taught her. Rin kisses her forehead as Ryuuji rolls out of bed. 

“Have fun at the meeting,” Ryuuji says. Hugging him. 

“Thank you so much for watching her for the day. I really appreciate it,” Rin says, his arms draping around Ryuuji’s shoulders. 

“I’ve been thinking, Rin. I’m going to be as in this as you are,” He says. Rin’s eyes get wide and his smile is from ear to ear. “You don’t have to thank me, have fun at the meeting and try not to strangle anyone or fall asleep.” Rin laughs and kisses him goodbye before leaving the apartment. Enyo has a mischievous smile on her face and Ryuuji pretends as if Rin didn’t bring it up last night that he might tell her where the nerf guns are so there might be a nerf gun battle. Before Ryuuji can say good morning to her, she raises her nerf gun and shoots him square in the forehead. The little foam bullet sticks to his forehead and she starts laughing as Ryuuji runs for cover to get his own Nerf gun he hid the night previous. 

____________________________________________________________________

“We have been seeing some demonic sightings around the centre of the city, is there a chance there could be another underground trading community?” An exorcist from Yukio’s class asks. Another exorcist gets the exact location and it’s near Rin’s apartment. 

“I don’t get why we are killing these demons. They are no different than Lilith and I. We are spending too much of our time ‘cleaning up’ the streets and the woods that we’re not seeing that most of what’s going on is a ploy from Erebus and the girls to lead us into a trap or blind side us,” Rin says. “As much as Erebus likes to think he has won over all of Gehenna, more and more demons are topside to avoid his mandatory enrollment in his army. He is trying to control demons who have twice his power and he is failing.”

“So you know where these demon colonies are?” Yukio asks. 

“I know where a lot of them are, yes. But they are here helping the exorcists. They are selling a lot of Gehenna exclusives that re twice as powerful as some of the materials that are grown in Assiah. You all see a demon as a demon and that they need to be killed except for Lilith, me and Yukio-”

“Yukio doesn’t have powers,”

“He can still sense demons and he can hear my familiar talk, something only people who are part demon or possessed can hear. You people don’t understand that some demons are trying to change because they don’t like what’s going on in Gehenna because like it or not, it runs similarly to how Assiah runs. Theres a chain of command and right now the chain of command is fractured. Wether you want to believe it or not these demons in the colonies that are in abandon buildings or that are in the sewers are refugees from Gehenna. They are not harming anyone and they are blending in as well as I am. Some of them are working along side of the humans and they don’t even know. believe they will all go back to Gehenna when Erebus is gone and they don’t need to be slaughtered. Imagine if you were in their shoes.” 

“You’re only saying that because you are raising one of those demon refugees. The one that caused the while mess with the impure king and Todo getting away,” They say with their arms crossed. 

“When did this meeting turn away from what really matters, that is getting rid of Erebus, has anyone seen anything?”

“It’s hard to with all of these demon refugees popping up left and right it’s clogging the system,”

“Then look harder, we need to get him gone-” Rin tries to finish but people are talking over him.

“You’re only saying that because you want to retire and play house with your boyfriend and a demon-child.”

“I’m only saying this because I’m tired of being paranoid he is going to come after me or send something after me. None of you know the half of what happened in Gehenna so you don’t understand the PTSD I feel. Enyo is seven years old and acts as human as Lilith. She was put on the front lines of this war because Erebus doesn’t want to dirty his hands. He put his 7 year old sister on the front lines of the war. She still has nightmares and remembers everything he did and everything he made her do every time she closes her eyes. Last night I was up until four in the morning because she kept on waking up because of the nightmares. 

“So pardon me if I want this entire shit show to be over. Pardon me if I am showing humanity when all of you are being as cruel as you say the demons are. Just because we are known for lying, doesn’t mean that everything out of our mouth is a lie. These demons are scared shitless of Erebus. Even if they have more power than him, he is aligned himself with powerhouses in Gehenna. They are here because they want to live and they want something more for them than what Gehenna has. If we show them the hostility that we are showing them now, we have far worse problems than Erebus.”

“What you’re asking is impossible,” Someone says. “They only want to kill us.”

“And I want to rule the world,” Rin says sarcastically. “Stay out of the colonies or you’re going to have more than one demonic thorn in your side.” Rin says, getting up. 

“Rin! You can’t just leave-” Yukio says after him, feeling embarrassed that Rin is his brother right now. He is being completely immature in just walking out right now. Rin turns around, resting Kurikara on his shoulder. 

“Watch me. You guys all heard me. If you don’t stay ot of the colonies, you’re going to be dealing with two very pissed off demons. The enemy of my enemy is my friend,” With that he leaves. The people all look to one another wondering if he was calling the Vatican his enemy. Rin takes the long way home because he doesn’t want to come home looking stressed and worry Enyo at all. In the lobby, Lilith is waiting for him. 

“They’re prolonging the process to finding out where Erebus is,” Lilith says. “They might not ever kill him because they want you to stay in the Vatican.” She pulls out a folder. “This is everything they know about Erebus. All of his sightings, where he regulars. He is a creature of habit wether he wants to say it or not. It has everything about him - where he was born, his family, what he did to be sent to Gehenna. It’s all in there. I may have fallen to be their lap dog, but you’re a wold card. They never know where you stand. I say go there and go end you your war for he both of us.”

“Bon will be pissed if I go alone,”

“Then don’t go alone. Look, I can watch Enyo, I know enough warding and enough spells to keep us safe and hidden for three years. Rin, we’re going to end this once and for all. Go kill your demon,” She says. Rin feels the weight of every single piece of paper in his hand. He walks up to his apartment, not sure what to do right now. He always thought Erebus was going to kill him before he would ever get ahead of him. 

He walks into his apartment and is met with Enyo and Ryuuji scrambling around the rooms to gather as many bullets as they can find. Books and binders are being used as shields. Foam bullets fly all over the room as well as laughter filling every corner of the room with light. 

_ If only the vatican fools could see this. She’s no more dangerous than a fully human child.  _ Rin thinks as he puts the folder in his room and grabs a gun and a pair of goggles and joins in on the nerf gun war. A temporary truce is called for lunch and for Enyo to do her homework which he doesn’t want to do. 

“Every problem you do correctly you get one free shot,” Bon says. Enyo narrows her eyes, skeptical of this promise. Bon holds out his pinky finger and she smiles. 

“Deal.” she says, linking her pinky with his.


	14. Chapter 14

“How was the meeting?” Ryuuji asks as he and Rin clean up while Enyo is in her room. She is exhausted from the nerf gun battle and from a restless night last night.

“Horrible,” Rin replies. “They’re just saying it’s about Erebus so I will show up but then they talk about the demon colonies and the trading centres. They say it’s ‘clogging up their system’ and they can’t focus on Erebus because of it but they’re prolonging the process so I stay in the Vatican longer. Lilith found their file on Erebus. It’s in our room. She says I should go after him and I am thinking about it, but I know you’re going to tell me to not go in alone. And I’m not. I just need to think this through and make a plan.”

“But all you want to do is go in there guns blazing and shop his head off.”

“Exactly. He deserves to be locked up forever and he deserves to just rot away,” Rin says, putting a handful of the foam bullets in a container. 

“I’ve been doing some reading about demon boxes,” Ryuuji replies. “Somewhere inside of Erebus, there is still a human, right? What if we exorcise him and then send the demonic parts of him to a demon box. We could find a place, just you and me for it and no one will know where it is.”  
“Or I could try to just burn the demon out of him. I mean, I’ve burned the miasma off of a bunch of people in Kyoto and they weren’t hurt or have any effects of being burned or the miasma,” Rin says, feeling bad now knowing that there was a person inside of Lucifer when he killed him. 

“It’s worth a try,” Ryuuji says. “We can have people follow you, all with stun guns and tranqs and we can tranq him and then bring him in and try to burn the demon out of him, it could work. It’s never been done before.”  
“Which is what worries me. If we do something that has never been done before and it works, I’ll have to go off the grid so the Vatican can’t find me. I’m willing to try to but we have to keep it on the down low. Only we can know about it because I don’t want to be stuck working for them any longer than what I have planned,” Rin says “Think of it as me going on indefinite paternal leave to raise Enyo. I’ll be a house wife.” Ryuuji smiles and rolls his eyes. When they finish cleaning up, they as well take a midday nap. Ryuuji has his face buried into Rin’s chest, relaxing when he can hear his steady heart beat. 

Since being back, one thing Rin has always noticed is the fact that every night, or every nap, Ryuuji lays his head on Rin’s chest so he can hear his heart beat. Rin didn’t understand why at first but now he gets it. He spent so many months thinking he was dead and he was so touch-starved when their flame was re-lit. It’s reassuring to him that Rin is here and that he isn’t going anywhere. It makes Rin’s heart melt every single time. Rin kisses Ryuuji’s forehead as exhaustion takes over the both of them. 

Enyo has another bad dream and wakes up to a very quiet and very clean apartment. She races to the safety of Rin’s room and she tugs on Rin’s shirt. He rolls away from Ryuuji, waking him up. 

“Can I sleep in here with you guys? I had another nightmare,” She says. Rin nods and he and Ryuuji make space between them for her. She pulls the blankets up to her chin and as soon as her head hits the pillow she is out cold. 

“I have some tea that might work with the nightmares. I gave it to you when you were having nightmares back in your Cram school days,” Ryuuji whispers. Rin smiles and thanks him. The three of them all fall asleep again and wake up around dinner time. Lilith comes over as Ryuuji is making the “No-Nightmare” tea for Enyo while Rin cooks. 

“Everyone at the Vatican is either envious of the fact that you’re leaving or hates you for it,” Lilith says “I don’t even know why I joined them. I was just following in your footsteps but now I can’t leave because they’ll try to kill me or Exorcise me what ever. I had three people ask me today where this body came from. It’s not like I picked some random person for this body, she was a dead Jane Doe that was braindead. Anyway, I heard about the nerf gun war, Ennie, you totally won.” Lilith says. 

“Well duh, Rin taught me all of the tricks,” Enyo says. “And Yukio taught Rin all of the tricks so technically didn’t Yukio teach me?”

“Nah,” Rin says. “He would have turned it into a whole seven step lesson plan with paper tests and a whole curriculum of math and how to position your arm to get the best shot I say just eyeball it and shoot. It works.” Enyo laughs.

“It does work,”

_____________________________________________

“We all know what we have to do,” Arthur August Angel says. 

“You’re not going to make it four steps with the kid in your custody,” Shura says, rocking back on her chair with her feet on the table - much to all of the other exorcists horror. “He will go all mama bear on anyone who tries anything with Enyo and all of you know it. She was used as a weapon, sound familiar?” She gets a lot of blank stares from everyone at the table. “Why was Rin kept alive? To be a weapon for the Vatican against Satan. Well, Satan is dead now. Why was Enyo doing Erebus’s biding? To be a weapon against Rin. He felt for her and decided that she doesn’t deserve to be looked at like a piece of machinery as he was looked at by the vatican. I mean if you want to, Baldy and the rest of you, you can try but it’s not going to end well.”

“Is that a threat?” Shura shakes her head and sits up right. 

“It’s a promise because you guys can bet on the sticks that are clearly up all of your asses that I’m going to be on Rin’s side. Suguro Ryuuji will be on Rin’s side. Yukio will be on Rin’s side. Mephisto will be on Rin’s side if I’m not mistaken. And so many others will all be on Rin’s side. So, unless you’re really willing to make an utter fool out of yourselves, I say back down. The girl hasn’t lashed out and or used her powers at all. Why? Because of Rin,”   
“Someone take Ms. Kirigakure out of this room,” Arthur says to one of the guards in the room. “Yukio as well. We will not have one of our exorcists harbouring a war criminal. Demon or human, what he is raising isn’t going to do the Vatican any good.”

“Why? Because he is leaving the Vatican to actually live his life for once-” Shura yells as two guards grab her arms. They’re about to take her out of the room when an alarm starts going off. Everyone gives each other a panicked, knowing look. A gate to Gehenna has been opened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We love a good nerf gun battle and good old fashioned pinky promises


	15. Chapter 15

Rin knew the gates opened minutes before the Vatican did. He tells Lilith where the safe house for Enyo is and she takes her there. Ryuuji is already on the phone with Yukio, and gearing up. They have a faux wall in the back of their closet that opens up to Vatican issued weapons and what not. It’s every Exorcist’s dream to have a little secret room of anti-demon weapons. 

“We don’t know if it is Erebus,” Ryuuji says as he grabs extra bullets. 

“We don’t know that it’s not him. The timeline fits perfectly. Lucifer is dead, Enyo is no longer working for him, the demon colonies are all feed intel to where he is and what his next moves are, no one is following him that much anymore because Lucifer is dead and they all think he did it. He’s coming for me, he’s coming for you and then he’s going to go right for Enyo.” Shura was right about one thing, Rin is going to go all Mama bear on anyone who tries to take Enyo away from him. Rin grabs Kurikara along with a .45. 

“Be safe out there,” Ryuuji says to Rin. 

“I promise,” Rin replies. His Hellfire Hounds appear by his side and he leaves the apartment as Yukio is walking down the hallway to the door. 

“Rin you can’t go in there all guns blazing,” Yukio says, pivoting and following him down the opposite way he was just walking. 

“Watch me,” Rin says. “Yukio he took to much from me the least I can do is take something back. You better keep him safe or I swear-”  
“I promise, Rin. I will keep your family safe,” Yukio says. “I sent Shura to the safe house with Lilith and Enyo as back up. Every group is given extra people to make sure everyone has at least two people covering them in a group.” 

“You better keep them safe. If it gets hairy, send him to the safe house, you hear me?” Yukio nods as he turns around to meet Ryuuji at the apartment door and Rin marches off to the front lines.

“ _ You see, my son, this is where you belong.” Satan says, as he walks through the castle. Rin looks at the demonic renaissance paintings different faces Satan has worn, different disasters they have caused. “All while you were growing up, Shiro tried to protect you from this, but this? It is who you are. It is apart of you.” He brings Rin to a small little balcony overlooking all of Gehenna that just stretches for miles and miles and miles with borders or limits to the foul smells.  _

_ “Welcome home, my son,” Satan says. Rin can hear the smile in his voice. “So you know, everyone in Assiah is safe. I am holding my end of the deal and you must hold yours.” _

_ “I am,” Rin replies.  _

_ “Not fully. But we will get you there. Yes, you are here but the real, true you isn’t here. I know you know he is there, waiting to come out and play,” Rin knows he is talking about the demon that is itching to feel the freedom of being in Gehenna and not being suppressed all of the time in Assiah.  _

_ “No,” Rin says, knowing all to well what will happen. That demon inside of him, is everything he has fought so hard to not be. A monster. A killer. “No you were never specific, you never sai-” _

_ “Rin, listen. I have waited 100 plus years to meet my  _ real _ son, the demonic one. Not the sanitized product of Shiro Fujimoto since the moment you were born.” _

_ “I’ve only been alive for 16 years,” _

_ “Time here moves differently. Now, let me see him, Rin. In Gehenna you’re not going to be able to whelve him for this long. Relax, sit back for a spell, you deserve it.” _

_ “You know as well as I am that I’m going to lose myself to him.” _

_ “And you want to remember everyone from Gehenna, huh?” Satan says. Rin nods. “They dropped you the moment they found out you were a demon. Yukio and Shura are trying to control you and everyone else hates your very existence. Can’t you see it? No matter how hard you trie Ryuuji is never going to look at you the same way. You’re never going to have a family. You belong here. Here, you are a king. There? You are nothing but a monster. Something that needs to be killed. A weapon with an expiration date.” Something inside of Rin snaps. Not anger, but sadness and grief for a life he once lived. He doesn’t stop the demon inside of him.  _

_ From then on, chaos for half a year ensues.  _

Rin walks and walks until he is looking at the gate and Erebus standing in front of it. The demon inside of him is antsy for revenge but Rin isn’t letting himself fold this easily. The gates close after an army of demons erupt from the gates. 

“Long time no see, Rin. I hear you pulled strings with the Vatican to make my sister legally your daughter,” Erebus says walking closer to him. “Where is the little one? I hear it’s time for a little family reunion.” Rin says nothing and waits for him to jist talk himself out which is something he does too often. Erebus has always been a fan for the dramatics. Rin notices every little detain about Erebus’s outfit, which is almost as ostentatious as Mephisto’s. The same pliers he used to pull Rin’s teeth and nails out are pinned to the front of his blood stained shirt. He has a belt coiled around his hand, chains in the other. His outfit is like he rolled around in magnet letters of all the devices he used to torture Rin in hopes of getting a rise or a panic attack out of him. 

It doesn’t work because Erebus tortured Rin, not the demon inside of him who has finally been let out to play. Demons from every nook and cranny come out of the shadows and fall from the sky to help create a chaos that would overwhelm Rin, but the demon welcomes it like an old friend because chaos is all he really knows. Erebus, as always, was sloppy. He’s not paying attention to the fact that Shura is lurking in the trees with a sniper gun. While swords are her go to, she is a mean sniper. Rin and the Demon both know that Shura would not be here unless Enyo and Lilith are safe. He knows Lilith is more than capable of protecting Enyo and herself. 

Erebus thought he was going to get more of a reaction out of him, but he doesn’t. Rin starts walking towards Erebus, the demons as well didn’t expect this and they all turn to Erebus and watch what is going to happen. 

“Bring me Enyo, and all of this will go away,” Erebus says, swinging the chains around. Rin would have buckled at the sound of the chains as a million memories flooded his head, but the demon inside of Rin is full of vengeance. 

“Over my dead body.” 

Erebus smiles. “That can be arranged.” Erebus says and he lunges at Rin. 


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is kind of gore heavy... Kinda

The vatican arrives as they see a light so blue they think Satan has returned. Yukio is already giving orders to everyone about how they are going to push back the demons into the forrest and away from civilians. The Vatican is more than pissed about the fact that Erebus is here and they all suspect that Rin brought him here to finish the job. It didn’t take them long before they found out that Rin has copies of Erebus’s file that they have. 

“Why aren’t your people moving in on Erebus?” Someone asks Yukio. 

“Rin and Shura are taking care of that. I have more than enough faith in Shura and my brother to do what needs to be done.” Yukio says, he turns an gives more orders to people on what to do and what needs to be done to keep as many people as possible safe. Through the crowd, Yukio sees Lilith and she is walking directly towards where Rin and Erebus are fighting. 

“Lilith? You were supposed to be at the safe house- What are you doing here? I promised Rin I would keep all of you safe,” Yukio says, trying to stop her because Enyo must be at the safe house alone with Kuro.

“Enyo is going to be safe,” She says. Yukio opens his mouth to tell her to go back to the safe house because he would never hear the end of it from Rin if she got hurt out there or worse. She ignores him - she is as stubborn as Rin is - and she marches off through the woods, all of the demons stopping and parting like the red sea as she marches all the way to the front lines. She and Shura make eye contact, none of the demons are making an advance on her, but they all see and know she is there - aside from Erebus who is too busy having his ass handed to him by Rin. 

The two boys stop when they bonce sense Lilith coming out from the dark of the woods and through the mess of demons. 

“You know, you could just give up,” Lilith says. “It’s much easier to lay down like the mongrel you are and give up. I’m sure the Vatican will only just lock you up in a cellar somewhere.” Erebus laughs at her, happy that someone is going to finally play into the cliche theatrics of everything. Rin is more determined to get rid of him to keep his family safe. The demon inside of him retreats and Rin is present, watching it all unfold between Lilith and Erebus. She is lining him up so Shura can get a shot on him. Rin was going to try to exorcise him, but he isn’t because if he can do hat, then the Vatican will never let him rest. They will never leave him alone. Death is the only out here. Erebus has to die. 

“Oh really? And if I don’t?”

“Then I’m going to become the new ruler of Gehenna and you’re in for millenea of torture. Don’t think I don’t know about Reyna,” Erebus goes tense then he is full of rage. 

“Who told you?” Erebus yells. “Kakia? Ariadne?” Lilith laughs.   
“Well, _child_ , pick one,” Lilith says - everyone knows she is about a thousand years older than Erebus. He is fairly young compared to Lilith. Erebus’s anger recedes and he starts laughing manically. 

“You kill me, you won’t ever learn the truth to that day, Lilith,” Erebus says. 

“I don’t need to learn the truth to that day, Erebus,” Lilith says. “You see, when you make a lot of mistakes left and right and are too ambitious, people are willing to turn on you so your desperate attempts at living and having the sword of damocles over my head are just as pitiful as your army here.” she says. She smiles. “Have fun in Empty.” She flicks her hair over her shoulder and there is a sound of a gunshot that echoes through out the forest. 

Blood seeps from a bullet hole on either side of Erebus’s neck. It doesn’t kill him, just shocks him, thinking that someone has the audacity to shoot him. He doesn’t have time to roll off some dumb monolouge before Rin stabs him in the chest and slowly drags it down his sternum. 

“Now you know how it feels to be gutted like a pig,” Rin says, knowing all of the times Erebus has cut into him just so he can feel what it feels like - as a demon he wouldn’t be able to feel that pain. Erebus falls to the ground in a lifeless thunk. His demon army slowly scatters and recedes into the woods, some go back to Gehenna. Shura comes out of the woods as well as many other Vatican officials who wanted to see Rin kill Erebus. He wasn’t going got give them that satisfaction. He marches right up to one of the heads and hands him the little pin every member has. 

“This is me retiring,” Rin says, wiping the blood from his broken nose from a punch he caught with his face. Rin makes his way over to Yukio, telling him he needs to get to the safe house, but Yukio shoves him in the van and brings him to an infirmary to take care of his wounds. He has a broken nose, a few cracked ribs and a dislocated shoulder. He as well has a lot of open cuts and tender bruises, but all he cares about is making sure his family is okay. 

“I sent Bon to the safe house,” Yukio says. “He and Enyo just checked in, they’re fine.” 

“I know,” Rin says. He doesn’t know how to explain to his brother that he has a “Spidey sense” with everyone he cares for deeply. He knows when they are fine and when they are not. He knows Bon and Enyo are fine - worried and scared, yes, but they are not harmed. Rin is ready to go to the safehouse, but his job isn’t done. The vatican say as of tomorrow, they will accept his retirement, but until then, there is still work that needs to be done, demon status’s that need to be checked up on because Erebus isn’t the only big demon that died today. Nearly all of Satan’s other children, aside from Mephisto, Azazeal and Amaimon have also died. They had their bodies burned in the blue hellfire just for a good measure. Some demons deployed a miasma and Rin helped with burning it off of people. 

The list of things he had to do was long and lengthy and all he wanted to do was go home to his family in he safe house and finally leave all of this behind. But no. Rin knew they were just going to add more and more onto him before the sun rose in the morning. They interviewed him about Erebus and about Lilith and about what happened - to keep it on a record. They asked him if he was ever going to help out on “Special missions” but he said no.

He wasn’t going to help because he was done with dealing with the Vatican for ever. He and Lilith were going to be making one more trip down to Gehenna and then they were going to leave forever. Yukio tried hs hardest to keep them away from Rin so he could go to Ryuuji and Enyo at the safe house, but the Vatican had a tight grip on him. Especially when they found out that Rin accidentally burned Ryuuji. It is a mess of shit and Rin felt utterly suffocated. Maybe the Safe house should be their forever house to avoid all of this chaos. 

“We will give you a free pass for harming a civilian if you continue working with us,” the Grigori says.

“It happened because of a demonic induced nightmare / flashback. I didn’t burn anyone with intentions of harm. I will not continue working with the Vatican.”  
“The Vatican is the only reason to why you’re still alive-”

“I was kept alive as a weapon - a trick up the Vatican’s sleeve to defeat Satan. He is gone. Erebus is gone, now what? Huh? I believe I get to finally sit back and get to live my own life and be with my family, even if Ryuuji is going to work for the Vatican and even if Enyo is the daughter of the demon who tortured me and Lilith and staged Lilith’s husband’s death for his own gain in emotionally tormenting us. I am thankful that I was kept alive by the Vatican, but I’m not going to be your lap dog. Find someone else, it isn’t me,” Rin says. “I’m going to go back to my family now because they have been kept in the dark way longer than they needed to be.” People shout at him to wait and to turn around but he is done with the Vatican. He showers, gets into clean clothes and he gets in the car.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAHHHH


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting this upload a whole day early (my time) because I'm going to skiing with my family tomorrow so Ah, here you go loves <3

Ryuuji heard a car coming down the dirt road and he and Enyo go running out of the old wooden cabin in the middle of no where. Rin barely throws the thing in park before he is getting out of the car and running up to them. He scoops Enyo up in his arms, as she hugs him tightly. Ryuuji hugs them both. 

“Thank you for not dying,” Ryuuji says. He kisses Rin’s forehead and they stand in the forest that is slowly being illuminated by the morning sun. They spend the day in the safe house. Neither Ryuuji or Enyo have slept since they got there. Their radios cut out and they couldn’t get them to work again so they were in the dark about everything that was going on. They couldn’t tell if Rin was okay or not, and Enyo hasn’t mastered that feeling that Rin has. The sense where he knows what those close to him are feeling and if they’re dead or not. They all lay on the small bed, Enyo comfortably sandwiched between Ryuuji and Rin. Rin waits before he falls asleep. He knows nothing is going to get to them, but he knows there demons at the edge of the warding. They are unable to cross because there are too many layers for them to cross over. Besides, Rin is more than able to jump out of th cabin and behead them right now. 

Rin knows he is going to have to go to Gehenna and get a few things from the castle. When he told Ryuuji he was completely against it until Rin told him what they were getting. First of all, there are a lot of demons who have been tortured who they are going to set free. In Satan’s vault, he has the “chain” Shiro used to have on his glasses. It’s the only thing Rin never got back from Satan all while he was there. Also, there is someone they especially are going to free. 

Davey. 

Turns out when Kakia and Ariadne are fed up with Erebus’s shit, they are very useful. Davey never died. It was staged and it was made to look like Erebus was gutting him. When Lilith found out she was so many emotions, she couldn’t put a name to them. They are going to Gehenna to free him. Right now, Rin is going to lay with Ryuuji and Enyo and he is going to sleep knowing all of them are going to be safe. Ryuuji wakes up every once and a while to make sure Rin is still there and every time he is met with Rin’s blue eyes opening lazily and him smiling at him. 

“We’re safe now, Bon,” Rin says, cupping his cheek. “We’re safe.” Ryuuji tilts his head and kisses Rin’s hand. 

They all wake up super early the following morning. Rin and Ryuuji pack up their stuff and Rin carries a still very exhausted Enyo out of the safe house and they drive back to their apartment. Lilith is inside their living room, drinking tea, waiting for Rin. She is ready go to Storm Gehenna and get Davey back. Enyo goes into a panic when she hears Rin is going to Gehenna. 

“Enyo, I’m going to come back,” Rin says. “Lilith and I are going to go set free all of the people that are locked up and we are going t find her husband, Davey. I am going to come back. I promise I will come back to you in one piece. I pinky promise.” He holds out his pinky and she links hers with his and they shake on it. 

With that, Lilith uses her demon key she nicked off of Erebus’s dead body and they use it to enter the throne room of the castle. Rin heads off to where Satan’s vault is and Lilith goes towards the dungeons and Erebus’s quarters. Satan’s vault is full of so many different trinkets from various historic people. It’s honestly terrifying all that he has collected in his entire life, but one thing that belongs to someone that barely had any significance in the mass population’s life belongs to the one man that was more of a father than Satan would ever be. The theater that Shiro wore on his glasses was hanging on a hook. Rin takes it and smiles at all of the memories that flood his mind. He puts it in his pockets and he joins Lilith in the dungeons. Everyone looking to them as if they are saints as they all run out of the castle. 

For once in the entirety of it’s being, the dungeons are silent. No one is being tortured, no one is insane, everything is quiet. The only thing they can hear is the sound of their footsteps leaving and the sound of them closing off the dungeons for good. They find Erebus’s quarters which reek seeing as Satan’s fully decayed body is just laying there. They both know he was using it to bait Amaimon - if Amaimon helped kill Rin, than Erebus would bring Satan back, but it’s not something that could be done. Rin made sure of that. Behind a bookcase, there is a door. Behind that door a skinny, gaunt man shakes and shivers in panic. 

“Davey?” Lilith calls. The skinny man looks up and his eyes are wide. 

“Lilith!” He tries to pull against his restraints but he doesn’t get far. He hasn’t aged much since the last time Lilith has seen him. She rips the restraints off of him and she hugs him tightly. “We killed him. We are safe from him.” Rin helps him up to his feet because as much as he loves this reunion, he doesn’t want to be in this place longer than he has to. They go back to the throne room and there sits two demons that make Rin roll his eyes.

“You’re looking good, Davey,” Kakia says. Rin already has Kurikara drawn, but the two girls have their hands up in surrender. “Down Bessie, we have upheld our end of the deal-”

“And I did mine,” Rin says. “Reyna is unharmed as promised.”

“Reyna?” Lilith asks. 

“Erebus had a lover who he would do anything for, and one mention of her name, then he was all out of focus. I knew about her, thanks to these two.” He says, pointing to Ariadne and Kakia. 

“You really need to learn how to stop making deals with demons,” Lilith says. 

“I did what I had to do to keep everyone safe, Rin replies - which is sooner or later going to be come his catch phrase. 

“We also have some information for you that you’re not going to like very much,” Ariadne says. “All of Gehenna will revolt against who ever is going to rise to power next. Unless they have the blue flames and their name is Rin Okumura, they will just kill who ever is going to try to take over and let’s be honest, Kia and I are not cut out for this type of work and having Mephisto, Amaimon or Azazeal run this place will be chaotic.” 

“No, I’m not going to Run Gehenna. I’m going to finally get some peace and quiet-”  
“And I want Gehenna to not have fifty layers of horrible smells, but here we are,” Kakia says. “We can help control the populations here and help on Assiah, but only if you are here and if you rule all of the demons.” Rin shakes his head. “You’re not listening to me. Think of us as interim overlords. When you’re in Assiah with your family, we are here making sure everything is being run how you want it to be run. You only come here when people are acting out. I say it’s fair as squares-”  
“-that’s no how the saying goes-” Ariadne adds. 

“-Of course, you’re going to have to go make nice with our lovely friends in the Vatican which shouldn’t be hard because of your brother. We know that there are demons here in Gehenna that will thrive in Assiah, so we have colonies that are looked over by Ariadne and I and of course you can stop by whenever. One of us is there, and then the other is here, and you can go where ever the hell you want. We answer to you. All we know how to do is follow a leader and not be ones.”

“You’ll still be pulling all of the strings. Calling all of the shots. You’ll be with your family more than you will be here. Of course you’ll have to check up on everything and make sure everything is being run how you want it to be, but-” 

“-Will people be safer?” Rin asks. 

“Rin you can’t-” Lilith starts. 

“Will people be safer? Will Lilith and Davey get their happy ending and will Enyo go to school without being scared of being attacked and will Bon be completely safe going out into the field? Same goes for Shima and Koneko?” 

“We can make all of that happen, what do you say?” 

“I’m going to have to talk to Ryuuji,” Rin says.


	18. Chapter 18

“No,” Ryuuji says. “No. Rin I already lost you once to that place, I’m not going to lose you again.” 

“I’m going to be here more than I will be there. Kakia and Ariadne will overlook everything and make sure everything is running smoothly. Besides, I know when things are bad down there and then they’re good, so I will know if they’re lying.”  
“What about Enyo? I don’t know how to be a father! I’m not even legally an adult yet!” 

“Bon, I’m going to be here more than I’m going to be there. A week Assiah time, not even. Yes sometimes I’ll be there longer, depending on the severity of how misbehaved everyone is going to be, but believe me, I’m going to be here for as long as I possibly can.”

“Rin…-”  
“You know as well as I do that someone else is going to rise to power down there and then we might be in even bigger trouble than we were with Erebus. They will follow me and they will listen to me because I killed Satan, Lucifer, and Erebus, I have multiple times beat Amaimon’s ass. I am the only spawn of Satan that has his powers,” Ryuuji still isn’t convinced this is a good idea. “I hate this as much as you do but I promise, Bon. I pinky promise I will be here as much as I can. I will be here as much as I can. You’re not going to lose me to that place. I’m not going to allow myself to be lost to that place.”

“When do you have to go back there?” he asks. 

“Tomorrow night at the latest.” Rin looks down at his feet. He wanted more than anything to leave everything Gehenna related in his past and focus on Bon and Enyo and their life they all have together. Enyo is in love with going to school and no one knows that she is a demon. She is making friends slowly, seeing as she still doesn’t like being around people because trying to master her powers isn’t all that easy. She does slip up every now and then and is still trying to move past the the fact that Erebus would beat her if she couldn’t control her power. Rin doesn’t do that he tells her it’s all part of the learning curve and then they have a quiet relaxing day. 

“I don’t want you to go,” Ryuuji says, after a few moments of silence. 

“I know. I don’t want to go either.” He presses his forehead to Ryuuji’s “You don’t need to worry about being a good father to Enyo because I know you’re going to do wonderfully on the days that I am down there. You’re not going to be alone when I am gone. You have Lilith, Davey, Yukio, Shiemi said she is more that willing to babysit Enyo and take her to the gardens.”  
“You pinky promise?” Ryuuji asks, looking Rin in his eyes. Rin holds up his pinky between them. They lock pinkies and they shake on it. Ryuuji kisses him long and slowly as if it’s going to be the last time ever. They both know that is not true. Enyo was just as upset when Rin told her, but she understood. That night, they decided to take Enyo to one of their favourite places that has recently gotten an upgrade.

The bright lights and the faint smell of sweat brings back so many nostalgic memories for Rin and Bon. Enyo is buzzing with excitement as she is talking about how she is going to beat everyone and she is going to win the mega prize. Rin’s jaw drops when he looks at the prize shelves. He frantically nudges Ryuuji like a child and just points and Ryuuji’s jaw drops as well. 

“No mercy?” Ryuuji says, looking Rin in in the eyes. 

“No mercy… Rooster Boy” Rin replies. They shake on it and they go right into the game. Rin is paired with Enyo while Ryuuji is on his own team. Enyo doesn’t ever go far from Rin, but she still gets a lot of shots on the other people that are playing. Ryuuji and Enyo, however, made a pact when Rin wasn’t looking. She was going to let him get a few free-be shots on her and Rin so he can win for the most shots recorded. 

However, Rin’s “Spidey senses” are stronger than they thought - even with the loud music, neon lights, and the smells of sweat and deodorant. Rin sneaks around behind Ryuuji and he pushes him against one of the walls, kisses him, then shoots him. Enyo starts laughing as she and Rin disappear into the dark of the room, getting more and more shots on everyone else. Ryuuji can’t help but laugh and waits for the cooldown to end before he can go after them. 

At the very end of the game, all of the points are being tallied up and Ryuuji’s jaw hits the floor when he sees that Rin beat him by two points. 

“Oh you fucking asshole,” Ryuuji says. “That was a dick move, we have a truce.” 

“Never established it. If I remember we said no mercy,” Rin says, he takes the jar of Lollipops and keeps a tight grip on them, knowing all of Ryuuji’s tricks. He does share the lollipops… With Enyo, Lilith and Davey, but none for Ryuuji. 

“Please? Not even one?” Ryuuji begs that night in bed, not knowing where the lollipops are. Rin smiles devilishly and shakes his head. 

“No, I’m tired. I had a long day of beating your ass at Laser Tag. I think I might set up a Laser tag place in Gehenna. That would be fun.”

“Until demons start using actual lasers and or guns,”  
“Well, it’s Gehenna what would you expect,” Rin says. 

“You’re really going?” 

“I’m really going,” Rin replies. “I need to go Bon. I need to keep you guys safe and everyone as safe as possible. It’s like having 100% immunity anytime you go out into the field.” Rin goes on about all of the new rules he is going to put in place and the rules he is going to force the Vatican to enforce within their little anti-demon arsenal. “If they don’t oblige, well, then their blood will just stain the 100 year old carpets and I don’t think they will like that very much if you ask me.”

“You’re joking..?  
“Yes, Bon, I’m joking,” Rin says. “No, Yukio says he will grab a band of people and they will all stage a boycott.”

“Boycotting the Vatican… that’s something new,” Ryuuji says, his hand finding Rin’s hair and running his fingers through it. “I wouldn’t mind doing something like that. It could be fun.” Rin nods his head slowly. He yawns and scoots closer to Ryuuji. He kisses Rin’s forehead and tells him how much he loves him and how much he is going to miss him. Rin tells him he is going to miss him more and he will be back as soon as everything is set in place in Gehenna. The door to their room opens and Enyo crawls on their bed. 

“I don’t want you to go,” Enyo says, worming her way between Rin and Ryuuji. 

“I don’t want to go either,” Rin says. “But I’m going to keep everyone safe. You’re going to have everyone here looking over you Ennie.”

“But what if I have a freak out? Where I can’t control my powers?”

“I will be here in the blink of an eye,” Rin holds out his pinky finger in the dark of their room. “I pinky Promise.” Enyo links her tiny pinky with Rin’s and they shake on it. 

“Can I stay here tonight?” She asks. Rin nods his head and kisses the top of her head. Rin looks over at Ryuuji who is smiling at Rin and Enyo, but he knows behind his eyes he is scared for Rin to go because he doesn’t think he can raise her. 

“You’re going to do fine, Bon,” Rin says. 

“She’s more attached to you than she is to me,”   
“Because I’ve known her since Gehenna. Bon she loves you as much as she loves me, I promise.” Rin again holds out his pinky but this family treats pinky promises like unbreakable vows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAAAAAAA  
> I hope you enjoyed this upload a day early!!!!!  
> I can't believe it's almost to an end! thank all of you so much for reading thus far, ilysm!!
> 
> XOXO Tai


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***Mentions of suicide attempts***

Ryuuji stands with his friends, all in their caps and gowns, ready to walk across the stage when their names are called. He didn’t see Rin before hand, but he figured he was getting caught up with Gehenna-stuff and making sure everyone is behaving, which isn’t hard seeing as he killed Erebus, Lucifer and Satan. He waits and waits for his name to be called and when it is he walks across the stage and hears Enyo yelling over everyone. He smiles to himself. She is going to be turning ten in a few weeks and she is so excited to finally be double digits. She has already began to plan a lot of how she wants her birthday to go. All of the kids in her class are invited, and she was going to make a cake with Rin because everyone knows he would never miss her birthday for the world. And that his cakes are the best. He will do what ever he must to make sure that everyone in Gehenna behaves so he can be there for his daughter’s 10th birthday. He visited a few weeks ago, but things were stirring up in Gehenna again. 

From what Mephisto says, Rin has a handle on everything that is going on. Speaking of Mephisto, he winks at Ryuuji when he hands him his diploma. Ryuuji knows what that means. He goes back to his seat and he waits impatiently for the rest of the ceremony to go by before he can go over to his parents, Lilith, Davey and Enyo. They congratulate and hug him as Shima and Koneko make their way over there as well. 

“No hugs for me?” Ryuuji looks up and sees Rin wearing a solid black suit. He looks as if he came right from the throne room in Gehenna. Ryuuji can’t help but smile like a dummy as he hugs him tighter than ever before. Every now and then Enyo still gets nightmares from Gehenna and Ryuuji isn’t as equipped as Rin is to help her, but he does his best. It’s not like Rin is in Gehenna all the time, just recently people there have been acting up and he is trying to keep everyone in line, especially so the people in Assiah stay safe. 

Rin didn’t completely get the retirement he wanted. He wanted to be home fulltime and not have to be making these trips to Gehenna, but it is what it is. No one in Gehenna would have listened to anyone other than Rin. He has earned it. Yes, he isn’t as hard core and blood thirsty as Erebus and Satan were, but he is working on getting those demons who want to live in Assiah and will do good there help and safe passage in doing so. He isn’t directly working with the vatican, but he is some what “Helping” them keep demons in line. It’s even better seeing as Kakia and Araidne are helping keep an eye on all of the demons who are peacefully living in Gehenna. 

“OKUMURA!” Shima yells as he runs and jumps into Rin’s arms, knocking him over. “Ohmygoditsbeenforever.” he says, slurring his words together because of his excitement. “Dude, you taught Enyo well, she has beaten Bon, Koneko and I every single time we play Nerf battle, He says, getting off of Rin. 

“Is that true Ennie?” Rin asks, he swears she has grown three inches since. 

“Yup! And we are even teaching Uncle Davey how to shoot properly, he always misses us by a mile,” She says. Ryuuji helps Rin to his feet as he hugs everyone hello, as well as stating he will be staying here for at least a month after Enyo’s birthday which makes her jump up and down with excitement. They had a big dinner at the monastery that was cooked by Rin - of course - because if anyone from the monastery decided to cook it would result in them all getting food poisoning. Ryuuji helps Rin clean up while Enyo is telling everyone about her day which she over exaggerates everything of course. 

“Lilith and Davey said that they can babysit Enyo for the night,” Rin says. 

“Oh really now?” Ryuuji says. “What ever are we going to do with a night to ourselves?” 

“I have a few ideas,”  
“Pray tell,” Ryuuji says, bringing Rin close. 

“It’s a secret,” Rin says pulling away. “No hints so don’t even ask.” Rin says, Ryuuji clasps his hand over his heart, pretending to be hurt. 

“Rin… my heart… after everything we have been through,” He says. Rin makes a pouty face. 

“Well, if you’re heart hurts than looks like we won’t be doing what I was thinking,” he shrugs his shoulders as he finishes cleaning up. They both start laughing because Ryuuji knows what is going to happen tonight. Even Lilith knows what is going to happen between them. When they’re done and all tired from the day, they all go back to the apartment. Enyo is excited to sleep over Lilith’s because she and Davey are doing to do a puzzle in record time - their favourite thing to do. 

Rin and Ryuuji get the whole apartment to themselves. Which it’s nice they learned noise cancelling warding around their bedroom. They barely close the door to the apartment before they are already all over each other. They stumble to the bedroom and flop on the bed, taking off shirts and unbuckling pants. Ryuuji is on top of Rin, kissing down then up his neck. 

“You okay?” Ryuuji asks. Rin nods his head yes. This is the first time they have done anything like this. They tried once before, but this was one thing that would trigger Rin’s PTSD from Gehenna more than anything else. He has gotten a lot better at managing it and he is in a place now where he is okay with around the old triggers. Some days are worse than others, as expected, but today is a good day. Tonight he is better than ever. 

Ryuuji starts out slow, but gradually picks up his pace - as requested by Rin, of course. Rin likes this better than breathing in the Assiah air after being in Gehenna for more than a day. He likes this better than anything in the entire world. When exhaustion over comes the both of them, Ryuuji rolls off of Rin, the both of them sticky with sweat. They lay in bed for a moment before showering and once again resuming cuddling on their bed. 

“I wish we did this sooner,” Rin says. They laugh.

“More exhilarating than our first kiss?” Ryuuji asks, tracing his fingers along Rin’s back muscles. 

“Nothing will ever top that,” Rin says, pushing Ryuuji’s hair out of his face. He has a dumb smile on his face. 

“What?” Ryuuji asks.

“I love you so much,” Rin says. 

“I love you so much too,” Ryuuji says. Rin kisses him slowly before he nuzzles the nape of his neck and he falls asleep in his arms. Rin never would have thought this is where he would have ended up. He used to think that if he is going to be the Vatican’s jackall, somewhere along the line he was going to die. Wether he was going to get killed on the field, or the Vatican was going to do it when he wasn’t useful anymore. He didn’t think the one person who he quarrelled with would be his boyfriend and he didn’t think they would be rasing a kid together. 

** He thought after Gehenna, he was going to be so damaged that he never would recover from it. He thought all of these horrible things about him dying by his own hands because walking around with all of the emotional baggage was breaking his back. He thought Ryuuji would never forgive him for being the son of Satan. He thought he would never see him again the moment he stepped foot in Gehenna. That last glance he gave him, felt like an eternity. He was trying to memorize the lines on his face as if it’s going to be the last time he ever saw him. ***

He thought Satan or Erebus or Lucifer was going to kill him. He thought they were going to kill Lilith. He thought all of these horrible, dark thinks, and it took a toll on his mind and his body. Now, he doesn’t think any of those things because he has a family. He has Ryuuji to fall asleep next to and to wake up next to. He has Enyo to bring so much light and fun into his life. He is in Gehenna, making sure every demon is in line so that they won’t ever be able to harm his family or anyone. Yes, some demons slip through the cracks, but he is always more than willing to work with the exorcists in making sure that everything is taken care of. 

In the morning, Ryuuji wakes up to a cold, empty bed and his heart falls. He puts on some underwear and he walks out of his room, and he is relieved to see Rin in the kitchen. He has one of Ryuuji’s shirts on and it is very long on him. Ryuuji smiles as he rubs his eyes and walks over to Rin. He wraps his arms around Rin’s waist and rests his head on his shoulder. Rin’s hand reaches up to the side of Ryuuji’s head as Rin turns so he can kiss Ryuuji’s temple. 

“Good morning,” Rin says. 

“G’morning,” Ryuuji replies in his deep, sleepy voice that causes Rin’s skin to be broken out in gooseflesh. Ryuuji lifts his head and opens his mouth to say something but Rin practically reads his mind.

“I know what you’re going to say. You’re going to wish you have more moments like this, but just because I have to bounce between here and Gehenna doesn’t mean that we can’t have more mornings like this,” Rin says. He turns around in Ryuuji’s arms. “We can most definitely have many many many more mornings like this until we are old and grey, okay?”  
“I was going to ask if you wanted me to start some coffee, but I appreciate the reassurance,” Ryuuji says. He laughs at Rin’s shocked face. He stands up right and kisses Rin’s forehead and starts making some coffee. 

Around late morning, they get changed into some clothes and Enyo is walking in through the front door talking all about her night at Auntie Lilith and Uncle Davey’s. It only took them about and hour and a half to put together one of the hardest puzzles Davey has and they may or may not have had a food fight and they watched four movies before they fell asleep in the blanket and pillow fort they made. 

“What did you guys do?”  
“We watched a movie as well,” Rin says. “We went to bed early though since Bon had a long day and I’m still adjusting to Assiah time.” 

“We should make a blanket fort here and sleep in it, to help you readjust,” Enyo says. Ryuuji and Rin smile and nod. 

“Nice save,” Ryuuji mutters. Rin sneers at him before going into the rooms and pulling out their old sheets and pillows.


	20. Chapter 20

From a hair clip piece-offering to lollipop jars to blanket forts with their nine, almost ten year old. Yeah, Rin did win the lottery with this being his life. He has Bon and he has Lilith who are amazing. They make leaving for Gehenna hard, but they make coming back every single time worth it. Rin did end up falling asleep in the blanket fort in the living room. 

_ He’s in a white room that honestly makes Rin think of Heaven. There is a woman with long dark hair and a smile that looks a lot like Yukio’s.  _

_ “Rin!” Rin turns to see who his calling his name and it’s Shiro. He wants to cry because he hasn’t heard his voice or seen him in forever. Shiro hugs him tight. Rin hugs him back, rattling off how sorry he is about everything he ever said or did to him.  _

_ “It’s okay Rin.” He says and smiles it off. “There is someone I want you to meet. Her name is Yui and-” _

_ “She’s my mother,” Rin says. The woman smiles and hugs him too.  _

_ “Tell Yukio I love him,” She says when she pulls away. She studies Rin’s face and he studies her because he knows he won’t ever see her again. “I love you two both so very  _ **_very_ ** _ much.” Rin nods and she begins to fade into nothing. He is soon just left with Shiro who has a smile on his face.  _

_ “I am proud of you, son,” Shiro says. “I am very, very proud of you. Look at you! You’re happy, you got the guy, you have a little one of your own who has as much energy as you do. She most definitely is going to take everyone by storm like you have. Saying no to the Vatican? You got balls, kid. You got balls.” Rin laughs.  _

_ “You don’t care that I-” _

_ “Made a deal with Satan? I probably would have done that. Or are you talking about you running Gehenna? That is kind of badass, but I would have done that to keep you and Yukio safe given the chance. Or is it about you and Ryuuji? Because I don’t care about that. If I’m being honest, I experimented a little bit in College. And I kind of suspected it, not gonna lie.” Rin looks at him dumbfounded. “For real, I’m proud of you, Rin.” Shiro hugs him tightly and kisses him on his forehead before he too starts to face. “I love you boys. I’m always with you two, don’t ever forget it.” He adds before he too fades until Rin is left alone in the white room. _

Rin wakes up in the pillow fort next to Enyo who is captivated by something on the TV. 

“You looked like ou had a good dream,” Ryuuji says. Rin nods his head. 

“Yeah, I saw my mother and Shiro.” Rin tells him everything they were saying and how real that dream felt.

“They are contacting you from beyond. It’s not an unusual thing to happen. Koneko says his parents do it sometimes - he’ll have vivid dreams of them, telling him how much they love him and how proud they are of him. Shima says his brother would hug him, ruffle his hair and say how their mom is going to kill him for dying it pink,” They laugh softly. “Who knows maybe Shiro will come back from the dead and give you parenting advise.”  
“I wish,” Rin says. “I just want to always do good by her.”  
“You helped make a blanket fort in the living room with easy access to watch the Tv, to the couch, and to the kitchen, I think you are doing very well by her.”  
“Well with me having to go to Gehenna all the time…”

“Rin, when I said I’m in this with you for the long run, I meant it,” Ryuuji says. “I’ll be an adult sooner or later, it’s fine, it’ll work itself out. Let’s just enjoy the time you have here in Assiah before you have to go back.” Ryuuji leans over and kisses his temple. They both tune into the movie an watch as mindlessly as Enyo. 

Enyo’s 10th birthday party is as lively as Rin thought it would be. Her entire class was there and they were all playing games in the living room, and Bon, Shima and Koneko helped set up a nerf gun shooting range while Rin made sure all of the kids - and parents, were fed and content. 

“So, you must be Enyo’s mother,” one of the mothers says to Lilith. 

“Oh, no, I am just the aunt,” She says, not really willing to explain how her and Rin are “related” “Rin adopted Enyo when she was seven. Oh they grow up so fast, don’t they?” Lilith says to Rin. He nods his head. It feels even faster when you have been bouncing back and forth between Assiah and Gehenna. 

“Wow, how… progressive of you,” Another parents says. Rin knows not everyone likes the idea of him and Bon being together, let alone raising a little girl, but Rin doesn’t care. They don’t know their story - they couldn’t fathom it even if they tried. “So, Enyo says you’re a travelling business man, where do you go?” 

“Right now, we are going back and forth between this town in Michigan in the US called Hell, Michigan. Funny little place. I am a translator primarily and I help make sure the people there and our people here understand one another. I bounce all around the world. And in the summer I’ll take Ryuuji and Enyo with me.” He lies to make himself sound normal. The mothers all look impressed. 

“And you can cook?”

“Very well,” Koneko says. “Best cook around aside from our friend Ukobach.” He says, raising his eyebrows. Rin nods in agreement and waits for the first round of snacks to be out of the oven. Lilith distracts all of the mothers by talking about her extravagant life and how her and Davey are travelling all around the world, but stay here when Rin is going off on “business trips” to help Ryuuji with Enyo. It’s kind of hard explaining that he is an exorcist so now everyone thinks he is a surgeon - seeing as he has a strange always-on-call schedule. 

The cake was amazing, and everyone made sure to tell Rin that. They had a mini tournament over who can get the highest amount of points on the nerf gun range, Enyo won, of course, then Ryuuji, Rin, Shima and Koneko al decided to give it a try and they all came within single points of each other. Ryuuji did beat Rin by three points. 

“You’re getting rusty,” Ryuuji tells Rin, as they clean up from the shooting rage as the kids are all eating cake and ice cream. 

“I let you win,” He replies. The two look at their daughter as she is smiling and laughing with her friends. Rin begins to wonder if Shiro felt this way on all of his and Yukio’s birthdays. Rin new for sure that he was never going to let Gehenna control his life. He is going to be here as much as possible. 

_____________________________________

The bittersweet end to Rin’s vacation in Assiah had to come to an end, seeing as the people were getting rowdy again. A few weeks in Assiah meant somewhere around a month in Gehenna which sucked because Rin hated being there for what felt like a month, but he has to do what he has to do to keep everyone safe. 

“I really don’t want you to go,” Ryuuji says, pressing his forehead against Rin’s. 

“I know,”  
“What if something happens here and I don’t know how to handle it?” He asks. 

“You graduated top of your class, Bon, I know you’re going to do just fine,” Rin says. He looks Ryuuji dead in the eyes.

“We have everything under control,” He says. Ryuuji looks down at his feet. “I’m not losing myself to Gehenna, you know that as well as the next person. I know I sound like a broken record saying that but it’s true. Everything is going to be okay. Everyone is going to be fine.”  
“But what about us? I don’t want this to drive a wedge between us. Being back there must effect your PTSD.”  
“I’m not going to shut you out, Bon. You know this,” Rin says. “Everything will be okay.” Ryuuji nods his head slowly. 

“We’re going to miss you,” he says. Rin nods his head and hugs Ryuuji tightly. 

“We will be fine, love.” He says. Rin says his goodbyes to Enyo and Kuro, hugging them tightly saying he will be back. He turns back to Ryuuji and says again. “We will be fine, I will see you in a week.” He puts the demon key into the door and into the throne room he walks. These days are always the hardest, but Ryuuji knows that they are going to make it out alive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My heart, I can't it's too wholesome.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SORRY FOR BEING SO LATE WITH THIS CHAPTER I WAS ILL ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY (not covid, I am all good now)

“He said he was going to be there a little longer than he expected,” Ryuuji tells Enyo who frowns. “He promises he will make it up to you, Ennie. We can kick his ass in a nerf gun battle or something.”

“Or sneak a laxative in his food,” Enyo says, shrugging her shoulders. 

“Don’t temp me kiddo, I will,” Ryuuji says. “Was it Kuro’s idea?”  
“No, Uncle Yukio’s,” She says. She is sitting at the dining room table, making one of those friendship bracelets for her friends in her class. She has three of them done already, she just needs to make a few more. Rin was supposed to come back two days ago, but some demons in Gehenna who were diehard for Erebus are trying to stage a revolt and he was forced to put them all in the dungeons. He is so against torturing which makes Demons there think he is a light weight, but everyone else knows that if they break the new set of Laws in Gehenna they are going to be punished by death. Which it keeps people in line enough. He has brought a lot of Assiah rules to Gehenna - such as jail time. Where people can be there for a year Assiah time or a few days Gehenna time and all inbetween. Some people who have tried to kill Rin get life in the dungeons. 

However he has finally gotten a handle on things. This past year has been rough because more and more men and women from the Vatican have been begging Rin to come back, but every time he says no. Everytime Enyo wants to visit him in Gehenna he says no. He doesn’t want to bring her back to that place where she has so many horrible memories tied to its halls and smells - much like Rin. Some days are worse than others, but at the end of every day, he makes a tally of how many more days he has to go through before he can go home to his family. 

He knows they are upset that he didn’t come ome a few days ago, but he would much rather surprise them then show up on time. Much like what he is doing right now. He is in the apartment, reveling in the clean Assiah air. He is setting out a jar of lollipops, his and Bon’s favourite inside joke. However, this time is different. Instead of putting the hair clip on the very top as he has done, he puts a gold ring on the top an makes sure that from the bedroom door, Ryuuji can see it and that his interest will be sparked. He makes shuffling noises, knowing it will wake Ryuuji up. 

When Ryuuji hears shuffling noises, he knows it can’t be Rin, because Rin wouldn’t come back home when it is this dark out. He would come in the moring or afternoon when they are all awake. He knows it’s not Enyo, because the footsteps are heavier than hers. Ryuuji for a moment thinks that there is an intruder in their apartment. He slowly gets out of bed and he opens the door o his bedroom. The light in the kitchen is on, and on the dining room table he sees the Lollipop jar and something glimmering inside of it. He walks over to the jar, opens it and sees the gold ring. It sits on top of a sticky note with Rin’s messy handwriting that says.

_ Marry me?  _

Ryuuji turns around and sees Rin standing behind him, in his completely black suit - he just got here from Gehenna. He has his dopey smile on his face and he is anxiously waiting for Ryuuji’s response. Ryuuji puts the jar down, the ring in his hand and he kisses Rin. 

“So it’s a yes?” He says, puling away from Ryuuji. 

“It’s a hell yes,” He says, and kisses him again. Enyo’s door opens and she is full of excitement. Yes, it has only been a week since she last saw him, but still. She jumps up unto his arms, even though she is 11 and most 11 year olds don’t jump into their dad’s arms. 

“WELCOMEHOMEWEMISSEDYOUSOMUCH!!!!!” She says hugging him tightly.

“I get to stay extra long this time,” Rin says as Kuro as well jumps up from his bed and sits comfortably on Rin’s shoulder. 

This may not be the path everyone thought Rin was going to take, but nevertheless, Rin is happy. He has his family and that’s all that matters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is hella bitter sweet of an ending. With this fic, I tried something different and I decided to break it up and turn it into a little series based off of the different major "plot points" i wanted to go through. I usually just make it one big fic and do it that way but this kinda forced me to slow down and actually plan things ahead. 
> 
> Thank you so so so so much to everyone who read this and gave me kudos's. I appreciate it so much. It is very very motivating to see the hits and the kudos's go up every so often, it makes me look down at the notifications with a dumb smile on my face, so thank you for that. 
> 
> Some good news, I am drafting another fic for this fandom because I cannot get these boys out of my head and I have so many ideas at the ready, so stay tuned!!!!!
> 
> I love you all so so so so so so so much, and thank you for reading and being patient when my chapters are late, (like today)
> 
> Have a wonderful, day, night, morning, whenever you are reading this and I will see you all in the next fic!  
> XOXOXO Tai


End file.
